Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Alexandria

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $998 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Alexandria

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Alexandria

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Alexandria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $998 in Alexandria.

Lisbon $2,223
Alexandria $998

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $1,658 in Alexandria.

Lisbon $3,271
Alexandria $1,658

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $2,317 in Alexandria.

Lisbon $4,319
Alexandria $2,317

Living in Lisbon is roughly 123% more expensive than in Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Alexandria is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$13.42 JMD 2,120

22.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$76.8 JMD 12.1K

-20.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$8.21 JMD 1,298

37.27%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$5.37 JMD 849

-43.02%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.16 JMD 183

94.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$0.74 JMD 117

133.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$2.22 JMD 351

52.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$3.11 JMD 491

9.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$4.20 JMD 664

-73.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$3.71 JMD 586

-49.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.57 JMD 248

-2.55%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$3.63 JMD 573

9.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$11.31 JMD 1,787

12.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$6.18 JMD 976

27.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$10.19 JMD 1,611

66.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$5.94 JMD 938

-61.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$3.86 JMD 610

-54.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$7.13 JMD 1,127

-74.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$3.04 JMD 480

-15.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$3.17 JMD 501

-41.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.66 JMD 420

-24.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$3.07 JMD 484

-53.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.44 JMD 227

-43.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$9.61 JMD 1,519

-31.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$11.11 JMD 1,755

-49.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$2.77 JMD 437

-53.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$4.06 JMD 642

-49.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$1.16 JMD 183

243.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$3.17 JMD 501

-65.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$6.12 JMD 967

171.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.39 JMD 220

64.03%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.7K €30.0K

$43.4K JMD 6.9M

-22.34%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$39.3K €35.0K

$32.3K JMD 5.1M

21.47%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$167 €149

$165 JMD 26.1K

1.57%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$18.80 €16.72

$29.45 JMD 4,653

-36.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$53.1 JMD 8,382

-37.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$13.30 JMD 2,101

-26.02%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$677 €602

$364 JMD 57.5K

85.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$8,298 JMD 1.3M

103.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$23.82 JMD 3,764

325.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$31.89 JMD 5,039

43.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$75.9 JMD 12.0K

31.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$102 JMD 16.1K

20.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

9.45

-59.26%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Alexandria

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Alexandria

$380 38.1% 41.2% $111

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Alexandria

$221 22.2% 8.6% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Alexandria

$247 24.8% 12.8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Alexandria

$105 10.5% 36.8% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Alexandria

$27 * 2.7% 59.5% $39

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Alexandria

$17 * 1.7% 73% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $77.0 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $380 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇯🇲 Alexandria

🕒 Local time

14:26 2:26 PM

08:26 8:26 AM

6 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

1,927

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.33 USD). 1 EUR = 178 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.63 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Alexandria 6,880 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Alexandria

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Alexandria differ by about 123% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $998 including rent). Alexandria is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,335 in Lisbon and $1,497 in Alexandria to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $677 in Lisbon versus $364 in Alexandria. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Alexandria – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $61.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $998 in Alexandria versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Alexandria are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 123% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.