Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Portmore Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Portmore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,102 in Portmore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,849 in Portmore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,595 in Portmore.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 107% more expensive than in Portmore, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Portmore is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.69

$4.80 JMD 755

228.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.2

$62.4 JMD 9,810

1.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.08

$8.68 JMD 1,365

20.39%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.53

$4.41 JMD 693

-34.01%

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

$2.29 €1.99

$0.63 JMD 98.7

263.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.50 JMD 78.9

200.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.10

$1.84 JMD 289

93.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.44

$2.25 JMD 354

76.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$3.10 JMD 487

-65.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$3.55 JMD 558

-50.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.02 JMD 160

66.67%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.82

$3.58 JMD 563

-9.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.51

$10.86 JMD 1,707

22.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.69

$6.19 JMD 973

24.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.70

$7.48 JMD 1,175

110.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.98

$5.91 JMD 929

-61.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$2.99 JMD 470

-44.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.88 JMD 453

-29.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$3.04 JMD 478

-18.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$2.10 JMD 330

-14.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.92 JMD 302

7.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.52 JMD 239

29.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$1.27 JMD 200

-34.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.69

$8.66 JMD 1,361

-24.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.84

$11.16 JMD 1,754

-50.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$2.80 JMD 440

-52.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.61

$2.13 JMD 335

41.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.59 JMD 250

42.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.27

$63.4 JMD 9,968

-26.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.67

$0.93 JMD 146

354.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$3.22 JMD 507

-73.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.36

$6.43 JMD 1,011

192.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.09 JMD 171

85.32%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$42.4K JMD 6.7M

-17.47%

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

$39.6K €34.4K

$33.6K JMD 5.3M

18.03%

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

$148 €129

$156 JMD 24.6K

-5.45%

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

$20.52 €17.83

$21.70 JMD 3,411

-5.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.34

$51.4 JMD 8,082

-23.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.85

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.97

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.90

$13.24 JMD 2,081

-31.27%

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

$615 €534

$227 JMD 35.6K

171.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$2,450 JMD 385.1K

564.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.2

$25.67 JMD 4,035

295.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.57

$26.00 JMD 4,087

61.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.2

$71.3 JMD 11.2K

29.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$77.3 JMD 12.2K

57.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,400

$310 JMD 48.8K

419.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,089

$223 JMD 35.0K

462.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,667

$661 JMD 103.9K

364.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,769

$583 JMD 91.7K

249.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,734

$7,530 JMD 1.2M

2.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,724

$5,860 JMD 921.2K

-26.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,392

$1,312 JMD 206.3K

22.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

9.15

-58.36%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Portmore: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $310 in Portmore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 22% 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 $62.0 in Portmore. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $317, 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 Portmore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Portmore differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,102 including rent). Portmore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $310 in Portmore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $227 in Portmore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,102 in Portmore versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Portmore but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Portmore 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 Portmore 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 Portmore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.