Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dili

For one person, living is cheaper in Dili: $1,619 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $7,000 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Dili
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Dili Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Dili

🇹🇱 Timor-Leste

$1,619

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Dili

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 Dili actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,202 per month in Lisbon vs $1,619 in Dili, rent included.

Lisbon $2,202
Dili $1,619

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Lisbon vs $2,517 in Dili, rent included.

Lisbon $3,274
Dili $2,517

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $3,415 in Dili, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Dili $3,415

Lisbon costs about 36% more than Dili, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lisbon and Dili sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Dili by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$4.87 $4.87

249.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$49.68 $49.68

25.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$8.16 $8.16

35.05%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$3.79 $3.79

-17.68%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$1.71 $1.71

32.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.89 $2.89

-39.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$2.99 $2.99

14.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$3.98 $3.98

-6.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$2.40 $2.40

-51.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.51 $2.51

-25.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$0.96 $0.96

60.42%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$2.76 $2.76

47.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$1.97 $1.97

555.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$9.22 $9.22

-14.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$15.85 $15.85

11.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.43 $3.43

-34.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.81 $1.81

-3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.52 $2.52

-25.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$2.38 $2.38

7.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.19 $1.19

55.46%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.15 $1.15

71.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$0.85 $0.85

70.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$1.01 $1.01

-23.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$3.06 $3.06

119.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$11.89 $11.89

-52.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.29 $2.29

-40.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.88 $2.88

-26.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$0.26 $0.26

792.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$30.55 $30.55

45.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$3.41 $3.41

15.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$3.75 $3.75

-72.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$19.74 $19.74

-13.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.40 $1.40

56.43%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$17.7K $17.7K

91.28%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$17.1K $17.1K

123.17%

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

$164 €146

$151 $151

8.37%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$27.78 $27.78

-33.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$76.2 $76.2

-39.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$5.84 $5.84

66.95%

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

$684 €608

$1,514 $1,514

-54.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$16.0K $16.0K

10.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$59.2 $59.2

75.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$29.72 $29.72

55.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$81.5 $81.5

22.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$60.2 $60.2

107.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$815 $815

94.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$769 $769

52.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$2,784 $2,784

2.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$1,520 $1,520

31.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$3,531 $3,531

-54.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

5.37

-28.31%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Dili: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Dili

$769 47.5% 34.2% $400

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Dili

$276 17% 1% $2.9

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Dili

$150 9.3% 39.3% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Dili

$179 * 11.1% 16.9% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Dili

$104 6.4% 38.4% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Dili

$88 5.4% 34.5% $23

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Dili

$54 3.3% 14.6% $9.2

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in Lisbon versus $815 in Dili. 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 121% higher in Dili, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lisbon versus $50.0 in Dili. Groceries tell a different story – $273 in Lisbon vs $276 in Dili – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇹🇱 Dili

🕒 Local time

02:27 2:27 AM

11:27 11:27 AM

9 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

222,323 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Dili 14,400 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

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Lisbon
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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 Dili: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 36%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,302 per month in Lisbon and $2,429 in Dili. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lisbon and $50.0 in Dili. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,202 in Lisbon and $1,619 in Dili. That's a gap of about 36%.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Dili, where all-in costs run around $1,619, than in Lisbon at $2,202. In Dili it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dili – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Dili. 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.