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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,634 in Sesimbra.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,404 in Sesimbra.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,173 in Sesimbra.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 40% more expensive than in Sesimbra, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Sesimbra 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$13.37 €11.66

31.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$45.72 €39.85

37.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$9.29 €8.10

24.65%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.68 €2.34

15.67%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.04 €1.78

22.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.40 €1.22

24.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.51 €3.06

-0.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.14 €3.61

-16.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.09 €0.95

5.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.03 €1.77

-5.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.74 €1.52

-13.79%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.37 €2.94

18.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$11.44 €9.97

16.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$7.07 €6.17

13.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$15.99 €13.93

12.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.92 €2.54

-19.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.53 €1.33

14.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.82 €1.59

1.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.28 €1.99

11.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.60 €1.40

15.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.18 €1.90

-3.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.53 €1.33

-2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.88 €0.77

-6.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$6.03 €5.25

17.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$4.53 €3.95

30.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$0.89 €0.78

47.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.25 €2.83

-34.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.36 €2.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$43.41 €37.84

7.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.37 €2.07

72.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.99 €0.86

15.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$19.30 €16.83

-11.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.06 €1.80

12.14%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$35.0K €30.5K

-2.61%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$39.8K €34.7K

4.01%

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

$169 €147

$104 €90.4

62.55%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$21.53 €18.77

-10.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$44.95 €39.19

-25.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$43.05 €37.53

13.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$19.76 €17.23

-1.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$7.70 €6.71

24.29%

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

$696 €607

$607 €529

14.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$11.9K €10.4K

45.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$70.4 €61.4

49.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$38.22 €33.31

24.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$73.4 €64.0

37.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$98.0 €85.5

26.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$998 €870

66.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$799 €697

55.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,558 €1,358

90.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,198 €1,044

71.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$2,688 €2,343

191.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$2,342 €2,042

90.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,430 €1,247

14.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.85

-1.82%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sesimbra: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $998 in Sesimbra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 14% 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 $46.00 in Sesimbra for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $258 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 40% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,634 including rent). Sesimbra is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 14% 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 $998 in Sesimbra. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $607 in Sesimbra. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,634 in Sesimbra versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 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 40% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.