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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,086 in Portmore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,829 in Portmore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,572 in Portmore.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 108% more expensive than Portmore, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Portmore is 19% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$4.79 JMD 754

232.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$62.6 JMD 9,843

1.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$8.99 JMD 1,413

15.46%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$4.39 JMD 691

-36.45%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.63 JMD 99.8

271.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.55 JMD 85.8

185.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.93 JMD 303

77.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.21 JMD 348

76.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$3.06 JMD 481

-64.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$3.60 JMD 566

-50.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.01 JMD 159

69.31%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.50 JMD 550

-10.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$11.11 JMD 1,748

23.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$6.26 JMD 984

27.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$7.48 JMD 1,177

107.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$5.86 JMD 922

-60.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$3.01 JMD 473

-45.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.93 JMD 461

-33.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.96 JMD 466

-15.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.04 JMD 321

-12.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.94 JMD 305

3.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.59 JMD 250

23.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.24 JMD 195

-32.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$8.96 JMD 1,409

-24.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$11.53 JMD 1,814

-50.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.84 JMD 447

-51.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.13 JMD 334

41.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.52 JMD 240

49.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$63.3 JMD 9,958

-28.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$0.92 JMD 145

366.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$3.19 JMD 502

-73.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$6.31 JMD 993

189.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.08 JMD 171

84.26%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$42.6K JMD 6.7M

-17.75%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$33.1K JMD 5.2M

19.52%

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

$146 €126

$155 JMD 24.4K

-5.73%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$21.91 JMD 3,446

-6.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$50.2 JMD 7,897

-22.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$13.38 JMD 2,104

-28.85%

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

$608 €524

$226 JMD 35.5K

169.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$2,515 JMD 395.6K

556.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$26.22 JMD 4,123

296.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$26.01 JMD 4,090

61.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$72.3 JMD 11.4K

27.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$75.9 JMD 11.9K

58.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$317 JMD 49.9K

410.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$218 JMD 34.3K

481.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$663 JMD 104.2K

359.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$597 JMD 93.9K

236.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$7,779 JMD 1.2M

-1.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$5,891 JMD 926.4K

-26.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$1,294 JMD 203.5K

22.46%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Portmore: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $317 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 $63.0 in Portmore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $318 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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 108% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,086 including rent). Portmore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 22% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $317 in Portmore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $226 in Portmore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 18% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,086 in Portmore versus $2,263 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 108% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.