Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kingston Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kingston

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,684 in Kingston.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,889 in Kingston.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $4,093 in Kingston.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 38% more expensive than in Kingston, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Kingston 23% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.92

$15.95 JMD 2,513

8.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.6

$74.4 JMD 11.7K

-14.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.83

$8.81 JMD 1,388

29.28%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$5.22 JMD 823

-38.89%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$1.19 JMD 188

105.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.69 JMD 109

155.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.10

$2.19 JMD 345

63.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.93

$3.08 JMD 486

10.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.07

$4.06 JMD 639

-69.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$3.74 JMD 589

-47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.66 JMD 261

-8.43%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.49

$3.61 JMD 570

11.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.68

$11.58 JMD 1,826

16.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.23

$6.19 JMD 975

35.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.74

$10.12 JMD 1,595

80.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$6.12 JMD 964

-62.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$3.99 JMD 629

-56.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$7.48 JMD 1,179

-75.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.27

$3.11 JMD 491

-15.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.23 JMD 510

-40.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.81

$2.64 JMD 416

-20.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$3.01 JMD 474

-52.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.46 JMD 231

-42.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.85

$9.74 JMD 1,534

-30.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.93

$11.32 JMD 1,785

-49.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.19

$2.78 JMD 439

-50.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.96 JMD 625

-43.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$0.81 JMD 128

196.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.35

$38.60 JMD 6,082

21.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.60

$1.23 JMD 193

239.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$3.14 JMD 496

-63.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.25

$6.15 JMD 970

187.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.36 JMD 215

70.59%

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

$35.3K €30.5K

$43.7K JMD 6.9M

-19.11%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$32.4K JMD 5.1M

27.91%

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

$170 €147

$172 JMD 27.1K

-0.90%

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

$19.34 €16.68

$29.66 JMD 4,675

-34.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €29.01

$52.5 JMD 8,278

-35.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.48

$62.6 JMD 9,862

-23.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.16

$17.94 JMD 2,827

10.93%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.56

$13.35 JMD 2,103

-25.69%

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

$717 €619

$367 JMD 57.8K

95.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

$8,302 JMD 1.3M

110.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.4

$23.88 JMD 3,764

338.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.49

$31.86 JMD 5,020

47.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.2

$79.2 JMD 12.5K

30.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$102 JMD 16.1K

21.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,446

$972 JMD 153.2K

72.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,096

$563 JMD 88.7K

125.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,574

$2,117 JMD 333.5K

41.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,718

$1,434 JMD 226.0K

38.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,750

$2,902 JMD 457.4K

169.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,017

$2,054 JMD 323.7K

126.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,365

$757 JMD 119.3K

109.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

9.45

-59.89%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kingston: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $972 in Kingston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 109% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $74.0 in Kingston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $384 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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 Kingston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kingston wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kingston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 109% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $972 in Kingston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $367 in Kingston. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,684 in Kingston versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kingston but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kingston the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kingston delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,684 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kingston hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Kingston 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 Kingston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.