Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Montego Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Montego Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,181 in Montego Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,163 in Montego Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,145 in Montego Bay.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 92% more expensive than in Montego Bay, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Montego Bay is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$10.84 JMD 1,703

61.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$75.8 JMD 11.9K

-14.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$9.02 JMD 1,416

29.16%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$5.18 JMD 813

-37.07%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.91 JMD 143

173.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.73 JMD 115

128.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.17 JMD 341

59.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$3.16 JMD 497

13.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$3.37 JMD 529

-64.99%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.71 JMD 426

-28.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.39 JMD 219

12.23%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.44 JMD 541

16.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$11.54 JMD 1,813

14.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$6.32 JMD 992

33.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$9.19 JMD 1,443

98.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$4.10 JMD 644

-43.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.47 JMD 388

-29.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$7.57 JMD 1,189

-74.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.49 JMD 391

6.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.50 JMD 393

-24.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.63 JMD 413

-19.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$2.44 JMD 384

-40.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.77 JMD 121

3.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$9.61 JMD 1,509

-27.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$11.33 JMD 1,779

-47.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.92 JMD 459

-53.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$4.08 JMD 641

-47.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.93 JMD 146

155.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.91 JMD 143

360.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$3.08 JMD 484

-64.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$6.26 JMD 984

175.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.38 JMD 217

63.04%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$43.9K JMD 6.9M

-21.41%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$33.3K JMD 5.2M

24.85%

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

$171 €147

$175 JMD 27.5K

-2.44%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$22.33 JMD 3,507

-14.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$48.72 JMD 7,653

-29.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$44.12 JMD 6,931

12.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$8.31 JMD 1,306

21.54%

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

$699 €603

$362 JMD 56.9K

92.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$8,255 JMD 1.3M

115.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$23.18 JMD 3,641

351.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$31.28 JMD 4,914

53.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$69.3 JMD 10.9K

46.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$99.8 JMD 15.7K

28.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$321 JMD 50.4K

418.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$221 JMD 34.7K

456.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$933 JMD 146.5K

212.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$946 JMD 148.6K

113.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$587 JMD 92.2K

175.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

9.45

-60.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Montego Bay: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $321 in Montego Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 176% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $76.0 in Montego Bay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $329 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 Montego Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Montego Bay differ by about 92% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,181 including rent). Montego Bay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 176% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $321 in Montego Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,181 in Montego Bay – a 92% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,181 in Montego Bay versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Montego Bay but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Montego Bay the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Montego Bay 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 Montego Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 92% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.