Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Msaken

For one person, living is cheaper in Msaken: $646 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $18,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Msaken
🇹🇳 Tunisia
$646
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Msaken

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $646 in Msaken.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Msaken $646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $1,020 in Msaken.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Msaken $1,020

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $1,394 in Msaken.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Msaken $1,394

Living in Lisbon is roughly 244% more expensive than in Msaken, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Msaken is 52% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Msaken
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$4.93 TND 14.76
234.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$21.88 TND 65.5
179.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$5.86 TND 17.55
92.32%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$1.03 TND 3.08
197.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$0.80 TND 2.39
182.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$0.37 TND 1.11
367.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$1.71 TND 5.11
98.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$2.13 TND 6.38
59.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Msaken
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$0.48 TND 1.45
133.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$0.30 TND 0.90
520.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.71 TND 5.12
-10.53%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$1.76 TND 5.26
125.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$13.69 TND 41.00
-6.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$5.65 TND 16.93
39.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$14.36 TND 43.00
18.18%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.04 TND 6.10
11.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$3.60 TND 10.78
-51.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.11 TND 3.33
66.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$0.81 TND 2.43
217.28%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$0.86 TND 2.59
116.28%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$0.63 TND 1.88
220.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$0.40 TND 1.20
260.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$0.32 TND 0.95
156.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$3.76 TND 11.26
74.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$5.94 TND 17.78
-5.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.07 TND 3.20
19.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$1.31 TND 3.92
58.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Msaken
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$0.34 TND 1.02
591.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$0.32 TND 0.96
1146.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$0.32 TND 0.96
240.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$3.91 TND 11.71
325.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$0.86 TND 2.58
165.12%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$38.9K TND 116.4K
-13.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$35.6K TND 106.8K
10.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Msaken
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$59.7 TND 179
180.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$9.20 TND 27.56
104.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$20.21 TND 60.5
63.73%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Msaken
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$21.29 TND 63.8
116.11%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$5.92 TND 17.73
66.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Msaken
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$91.9 TND 275
637.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$3,156 TND 9,452
436.13%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Msaken
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$43.28 TND 130
133.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$58.7 TND 176
-22.10%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$117 TND 351
-14.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$86.0 TND 258
42.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Msaken
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$108 TND 325
1387.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$93.1 TND 279
1186.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$203 TND 607
1311.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$150 TND 450
1224.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Msaken
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$244 TND 731
550.52%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
10.67
-63.92%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Msaken: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Msaken
$93 92.2% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Msaken
$203 24.5% $66
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Msaken
$87 64.1% $155
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Msaken
$89 59.4% $130
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Msaken
$137 17.4% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Msaken
$33 49.6% $33
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Msaken
$3.3 * 94.8% $60

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $108 in Msaken. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 551% 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: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $22.00 in Msaken for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $203 per month, with Msaken cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇹🇳 Msaken
🕒 Local time
18:16 6:16 PM
18:16 6:16 PM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
56,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Msaken 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Msaken

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 Msaken: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Msaken?
Lisbon and Msaken differ by about 244% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $646 including rent). Msaken is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Msaken?
Average pay runs 551% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Msaken?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $108 in Msaken. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Msaken?
All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $646 in Msaken – a 244% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $646 in Msaken versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Msaken but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Msaken the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Msaken?
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.
Is Lisbon or Msaken safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Msaken are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Msaken?
Expats usually find Msaken gentler on the wallet – expenses run 244% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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