Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Jimma

For one person, living is cheaper in Jimma: $1,020 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Jimma
🇪🇹 Ethiopia
$1,020
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Jimma

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

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Lisbon vs $1,020 in Jimma, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Jimma $1,020

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Lisbon vs $1,406 in Jimma, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Jimma $1,406

A family of three spends $4,319 per month in Lisbon vs $1,792 in Jimma, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Jimma $1,792

Lisbon costs about 118% more than Jimma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Lisbon sits 65% above the global median, while Jimma is 24% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Jimma
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$4.40 ETB 705
275.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
-
-
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
-
-
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$1.11 ETB 178
175.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$0.58 ETB 93.3
289.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$0.43 ETB 68.8
302.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$2.86 ETB 458
18.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$1.37 ETB 220
148.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Jimma
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.10 ETB 176
1.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$0.35 ETB 57.0
431.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.10 ETB 176
39.09%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$3.96 ETB 636
-
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
-
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$11.18 ETB 1,795
-29.34%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$11.29 ETB 1,812
50.31%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.18 ETB 349
4.13%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.13 ETB 182
54.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$3.26 ETB 523
-43.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$0.58 ETB 93.5
343.10%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$0.58 ETB 93.2
220.69%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$3.33 ETB 535
-39.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
-
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$0.55 ETB 87.9
49.09%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
-
-
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$6.79 ETB 1,089
-17.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.11 ETB 177
15.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$1.43 ETB 229
44.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Jimma
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$0.21 ETB 33.58
1019.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
$13.56 ETB 2,176
225.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$1.70 ETB 273
878.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.70 ETB 273
34.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$50.0K ETB 8.0M
-32.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$56.2K ETB 9.0M
-30.04%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Jimma
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$61.8 ETB 9,921
170.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$36.05 ETB 5,786
-47.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$304 ETB 48.8K
-89.11%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Jimma
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$33.49 ETB 5,375
37.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
-
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Jimma
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Jimma
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
-
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$89.1 ETB 14.3K
-48.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$132 ETB 21.1K
-24.09%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$112 ETB 18.1K
9.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Jimma
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$205 ETB 33.0K
685.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$156 ETB 25.0K
668.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$415 ETB 66.7K
588.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$311 ETB 49.9K
540.10%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
$2,215 ETB 355.5K
242.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
$1,107 ETB 177.6K
289.20%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Jimma
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$222 ETB 35.7K
614.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
9
-57.22%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Jimma: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Jimma
–
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Jimma
–
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Jimma
–
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Jimma
–
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Jimma
–
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Jimma
–
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Jimma
–

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Lisbon versus $205 in Jimma. 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 615% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇪🇹 Jimma
🕒 Local time
18:54 6:54 PM
20:54 8:54 PM
2 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
207,573
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ETB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

Ethiopian Birr exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 160 ETB (1,000 ETB = 6.23 USD). 1 EUR = 180 ETB (1,000 ETB = 5.54 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Jimma 5,740 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Jimma

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 Jimma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jimma cheaper than Lisbon?
Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 118%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,335 per month in Lisbon and $1,530 in Jimma. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Jimma, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Lisbon and in Jimma?
Groceries cost about 38% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 226% less in Jimma. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Lisbon or in Jimma?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Jimma, where all-in costs run around $1,020, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Jimma it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Lisbon or Jimma more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Jimma – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Lisbon or Jimma?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Jimma. 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.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?