Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Arima Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Arima

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,296 per month in Lisbon vs $1,262 in Arima, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,376 per month in Lisbon vs $2,162 in Arima, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,457 per month in Lisbon vs $3,061 in Arima, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 82% more than Arima, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 68% above the global median, while Arima is 8% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$10.12 TTD 68.1

73.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$73.1 TTD 492

-14.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$8.88 TTD 59.8

30.41%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.77 TTD 25.36

-17.77%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.01 TTD 6.79

146.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.76 TTD 5.11

128.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.80 TTD 12.10

93.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.92 TTD 19.65

17.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.39 TTD 16.08

-51.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.41 TTD 16.23

-20.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.84 TTD 19.09

-47.18%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$4.39 TTD 29.53

-9.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$6.70 TTD 45.06

98.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$6.38 TTD 42.90

25.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$8.99 TTD 60.5

100.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$5.53 TTD 37.20

-57.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.30 TTD 15.47

-23.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$3.63 TTD 24.45

-49.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$4.95 TTD 33.33

-48.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.33 TTD 8.94

38.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.00 TTD 6.76

110.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.40 TTD 9.42

6.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.91 TTD 6.13

-9.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$4.82 TTD 32.43

47.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$19.37 TTD 130

-69.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.84 TTD 12.38

-28.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.96 TTD 19.93

-28.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.06 TTD 7.11

122.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.78 TTD 5.22

423.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.75 TTD 5.06

52.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$14.90 TTD 100

14.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.12 TTD 7.54

106.25%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$27.2K TTD 183.3K

25.28%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$36.1K TTD 243.1K

14.50%

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

$169 €147

$91.8 TTD 617

83.71%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$44.02 TTD 296

-56.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$55.5 TTD 373

-39.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$52.4 TTD 353

-6.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$8.88 TTD 59.7

7.77%

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

$696 €607

$179 TTD 1,205

288.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$10.9K TTD 73.2K

59.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$63.8 TTD 429

64.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$43.62 TTD 293

9.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$147 TTD 991

-31.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$74.4 TTD 501

67.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$517 TTD 3,476

221.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$366 TTD 2,463

240.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,044 TTD 7,023

184.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$876 TTD 5,891

133.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,188 TTD 7,994

37.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.75

-34.26%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Arima: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,662 in Lisbon versus $517 in Arima. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 37% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon versus $73.0 in Arima. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $277 vs $313 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Arima: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 82% more than Arima, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,444 per month in Lisbon and $1,893 in Arima. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Arima, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,296 in Lisbon and $1,262 in Arima. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Kindergarten costs $696 per month in Lisbon and $179 in Arima. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Arima, where all-in costs run around $1,262, than in Lisbon at $2,296. In Arima it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Arima costs $1,262 versus $2,296 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Arima. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.