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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,112 in Portmore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,853 in Portmore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,594 in Portmore.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 100% more expensive than Portmore, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Portmore is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$4.82 JMD 757

235.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$62.9 JMD 9,885

2.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.78 JMD 1,380

18.22%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$4.23 JMD 665

-34.52%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.69 JMD 108

226.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.50 JMD 78.8

214.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.85 JMD 291

88.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.23 JMD 350

79.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$3.05 JMD 479

-64.59%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$3.63 JMD 571

-52.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.99 JMD 155

75.76%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$3.53 JMD 554

-9.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$11.18 JMD 1,757

20.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.44 JMD 1,011

24.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$7.50 JMD 1,178

114.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$5.99 JMD 941

-61.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$3.11 JMD 488

-44.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$2.95 JMD 464

-34.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$3.06 JMD 481

-16.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.01 JMD 315

-8.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.99 JMD 313

2.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.59 JMD 250

24.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.28 JMD 201

-33.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$8.71 JMD 1,368

-21.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$11.49 JMD 1,804

-49.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.84 JMD 446

-51.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.26 JMD 354

28.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.60 JMD 252

42.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$62.9 JMD 9,884

-25.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.91 JMD 143

348.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.25 JMD 510

-74.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$6.29 JMD 988

190.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.08 JMD 170

86.11%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$42.7K JMD 6.7M

-17.45%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$33.8K JMD 5.3M

13.94%

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

$145 €124

$156 JMD 24.5K

-6.63%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$22.40 JMD 3,518

-6.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$51.8 JMD 8,129

-22.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$13.17 JMD 2,068

-31.21%

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

$607 €519

$224 JMD 35.2K

170.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$2,479 JMD 389.4K

558.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$25.93 JMD 4,073

303.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$25.32 JMD 3,977

61.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$69.7 JMD 11.0K

34.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$74.9 JMD 11.8K

58.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$314 JMD 49.4K

410.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$215 JMD 33.8K

473.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$646 JMD 101.5K

371.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$598 JMD 93.8K

244.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$7,724 JMD 1.2M

-0.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$5,745 JMD 902.3K

-25.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,267 JMD 199.0K

25.02%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Portmore: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $314 in Portmore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 25% 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 $63.0 in Portmore. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $322, 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 100% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,112 including rent). Portmore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 25% 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 $314 in Portmore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $224 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 $1,112 in Portmore versus $2,227 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 100% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.