Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sesimbra Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sesimbra

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,555 in Sesimbra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $2,315 in Sesimbra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $3,075 in Sesimbra.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 43% more expensive than Sesimbra, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Sesimbra 17% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$12.95 €11.15

21.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$46.79 €40.29

33.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$9.12 €7.85

15.57%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$2.56 €2.21

8.20%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$1.71 €1.48

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.35 €1.16

14.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$2.24 €1.93

58.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$3.55 €3.06

12.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.07 €0.92

0.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.92 €1.66

-7.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.08 €1.79

-14.90%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$3.18 €2.74

-1.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$11.06 €9.52

20.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$7.63 €6.57

4.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$14.02 €12.07

13.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.65 €2.28

-13.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.45 €1.25

13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.69 €1.46

17.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.02 €2.60

-18.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.48 €1.27

19.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.20 €1.90

-10.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.94 €0.81

109.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.88 €0.76

-9.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$5.82 €5.01

12.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$4.66 €4.01

23.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.26 €1.09

4.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$3.19 €2.75

-6.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.42 €1.22

64.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$47.20 €40.65

-2.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$3.72 €3.20

14.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.21 €1.04

-30.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$17.11 €14.74

10.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.87 €1.61

10.70%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$34.6K €29.8K

1.85%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$38.7K €33.3K

-0.13%

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

$151 €130

$101 €87.2

49.16%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$21.23 €18.28

-1.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$45.01 €38.76

-12.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$45.82 €39.45

5.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$8.31 €7.16

8.78%

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

$610 €525

$741 €638

-17.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$7,255 €6,247

124.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$69.1 €59.5

46.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$38.49 €33.14

5.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$70.1 €60.3

32.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$93.0 €80.1

27.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$830 €715

93.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$704 €606

75.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$1,384 €1,191

118.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$1,178 €1,015

74.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$3,219 €2,772

147.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$2,186 €1,882

107.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,457 €1,254

11.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.01

-23.95%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Sesimbra: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $830 in Sesimbra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 12% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Sesimbra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $253 per month, with Sesimbra 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 Sesimbra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sesimbra differ by about 43% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $1,555 including rent). Sesimbra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 12% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $830 in Sesimbra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $741 in Sesimbra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,555 in Sesimbra versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sesimbra but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sesimbra 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 Sesimbra 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 Sesimbra gentler on the wallet – expenses run 43% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.