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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,243 in Portmore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,094 in Portmore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,944 in Portmore.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 85% more expensive than in Portmore, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Portmore is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$10.22 JMD 1,602

72.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$62.2 JMD 9,744

1.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$8.98 JMD 1,408

28.95%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$5.19 JMD 814

-40.27%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.92 JMD 144

170.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.65 JMD 102

167.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.17 JMD 341

60.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.18 JMD 341

57.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$3.10 JMD 486

-62.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$3.55 JMD 556

-46.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.00 JMD 156

50.00%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.48 JMD 545

14.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$11.36 JMD 1,780

16.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$6.46 JMD 1,012

23.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$9.35 JMD 1,465

92.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$6.05 JMD 948

-61.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$3.94 JMD 618

-55.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.93 JMD 460

-36.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$3.00 JMD 470

-15.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$3.18 JMD 498

-42.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.60 JMD 407

-19.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.57 JMD 247

-5.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.24 JMD 195

-33.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$9.26 JMD 1,451

-23.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$11.47 JMD 1,797

-48.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.93 JMD 459

-55.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.16 JMD 338

-1.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.35 JMD 368

0.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$51.3 JMD 8,042

-9.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.99 JMD 156

312.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$3.23 JMD 506

-64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$6.21 JMD 973

175.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.27 JMD 199

81.89%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$44.9K JMD 7.0M

-24.07%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$33.4K JMD 5.2M

23.75%

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

$169 €147

$161 JMD 25.3K

4.51%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$29.50 JMD 4,623

-34.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$53.6 JMD 8,401

-37.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$59.6 JMD 9,343

-18.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$13.54 JMD 2,122

-29.32%

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

$696 €606

$284 JMD 44.6K

144.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$3,108 JMD 487.1K

458.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$23.31 JMD 3,654

351.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$32.31 JMD 5,064

47.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$77.9 JMD 12.2K

28.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$94.4 JMD 14.8K

31.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$313 JMD 49.1K

430.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$219 JMD 34.3K

470.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$659 JMD 103.2K

350.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$607 JMD 95.1K

237.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$7,565 JMD 1.2M

3.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$5,760 JMD 902.8K

-22.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$1,294 JMD 202.8K

26.06%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Portmore: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $313 in Portmore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 26% 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 $277 vs $337, 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 85% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,243 including rent). Portmore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $313 in Portmore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $284 in Portmore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,243 in Portmore versus $2,296 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 85% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.