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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,287 in Montego Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,759 in Montego Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,231 in Montego Bay.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 73% more expensive than Montego Bay, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Montego Bay is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$7.69 JMD 1,208

110.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$50.9 JMD 7,988

26.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$7.30 JMD 1,147

42.19%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$4.38 JMD 688

-36.76%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.37 JMD 216

64.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.71 JMD 112

121.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.48 JMD 389

40.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$3.08 JMD 484

29.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.52 JMD 396

-57.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.68 JMD 421

-35.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.57 JMD 246

10.83%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$3.60 JMD 565

-11.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$11.03 JMD 1,732

21.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.43 JMD 1,010

24.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$7.77 JMD 1,220

107.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$3.37 JMD 529

-32.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$3.09 JMD 486

-44.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$2.84 JMD 445

-31.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.76 JMD 277

44.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.12 JMD 333

-13.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.13 JMD 177

80.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.91 JMD 300

3.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.93 JMD 146

-8.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$8.61 JMD 1,352

-20.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$11.46 JMD 1,800

-49.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.11 JMD 331

-35.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$3.06 JMD 481

-5.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.93 JMD 146

145.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.93 JMD 146

338.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.22 JMD 505

-74.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$6.37 JMD 1,001

186.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.24 JMD 195

62.10%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$42.3K JMD 6.6M

-16.61%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$34.1K JMD 5.4M

12.86%

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

$145 €124

$163 JMD 25.6K

-10.68%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$21.26 JMD 3,339

-1.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$47.70 JMD 7,491

-16.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$37.35 JMD 5,866

30.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$7.54 JMD 1,185

20.16%

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

$607 €519

$62.6 JMD 9,827

869.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$1,882 JMD 295.6K

767.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$26.12 JMD 4,102

300.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$20.10 JMD 3,157

103.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$66.2 JMD 10.4K

41.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$75.8 JMD 11.9K

56.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$257 JMD 40.3K

524.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$461 JMD 72.4K

168.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$669 JMD 105.0K

355.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$431 JMD 67.7K

376.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$562 JMD 88.3K

181.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-52.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Montego Bay: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $257 in Montego Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 182% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $51.0 in Montego Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $284, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 73% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,287 including rent). Montego Bay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 182% more on average, 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $257 in Montego Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $1,287 in Montego Bay – a 73% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,287 in Montego Bay versus $2,227 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 73% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.