Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and La Marsa

For one person, living is cheaper in La Marsa: $766 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in La Marsa
Learn more

La Marsa Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

La Marsa

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$766

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in La Marsa

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $766 in La Marsa, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
La Marsa $766

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $1,280 in La Marsa, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
La Marsa $1,280

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $1,794 in La Marsa, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
La Marsa $1,794

Lisbon costs about 188% more than La Marsa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while La Marsa is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.91

$3.40 TND 10.22

389.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$19.63 TND 59.0

214.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.17

$5.18 TND 15.56

119.31%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$1.25 TND 3.76

137.60%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$0.59 TND 1.77

288.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$0.28 TND 0.85

521.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$1.46 TND 4.39

132.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.96

$1.95 TND 5.85

69.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$0.49 TND 1.48

136.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$0.29 TND 0.86

558.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$2.23 TND 6.70

-32.29%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$1.77 TND 5.32

127.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$9.90 TND 29.73

30.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.96

$6.62 TND 19.89

17.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.91

$13.02 TND 39.11

36.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.95 TND 5.85

17.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$3.60 TND 10.83

-51.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.43 TND 4.28

30.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$0.67 TND 2.01

286.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$0.58 TND 1.76

213.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$0.67 TND 2.00

194.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$0.43 TND 1.31

241.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.28 TND 0.83

157.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$3.56 TND 10.69

84.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$6.50 TND 19.54

-13.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.25 TND 3.76

8.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.59 TND 4.78

34.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$0.32 TND 0.95

628.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.01

$7.22 TND 21.68

518.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$0.31 TND 0.94

1141.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.46 TND 1.38

132.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.74

$3.89 TND 11.69

323.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$0.86 TND 2.58

155.81%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$40.0K TND 120.1K

-14.48%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$37.0K TND 111.1K

4.68%

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

$161 €144

$33.34 TND 100

383.56%

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

$18.41 €16.49

$12.23 TND 36.74

50.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.32

$18.21 TND 54.7

79.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.90

$42.01 TND 126

6.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.10

$7.14 TND 21.44

167.51%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$5.30 TND 15.92

81.13%

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

$668 €598

$57.5 TND 173

1061.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$2,532 TND 7,606

595.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$63.6 TND 191

60.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.82

$70.5 TND 212

-36.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.2

$88.7 TND 266

11.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$91.2 TND 274

35.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,440

$288 TND 865

458.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$229 TND 687

420.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,519

$710 TND 2,134

295.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,803

$564 TND 1,693

257.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,021

$1,658 TND 4,980

372.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,098

$1,162 TND 3,491

293.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$333 TND 1,001

372.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

-72.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for La Marsa: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

La Marsa

$229 29.8% 80.8% $962

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

La Marsa

$197 25.7% 27.8% $76

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

La Marsa

$72 9.5% 70.1% $170

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

La Marsa

$64 8.3% 70% $149

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

La Marsa

$141 18.4% 14.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

La Marsa

$53 6.9% 17.5% $11

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

La Marsa

$11 1.5% 82.4% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $288 in La Marsa. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lisbon are about 4.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $20 in La Marsa. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $197 – making La Marsa the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇹🇳 La Marsa

🕒 Local time

21:28 9:28 PM

22:28 10:28 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

92,987

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 TND = 0.333 USD

1 TND = 0.298 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon La Marsa 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
La Marsa

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 La Marsa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 188%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $1,150 in La Marsa. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in La Marsa, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $288 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $766 in La Marsa. That makes La Marsa about 65% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 84% less in La Marsa. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in La Marsa, where all-in costs run around $766, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In La Marsa it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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