Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sfax Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sfax

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $641 in Sfax.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,006 in Sfax.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,372 in Sfax.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 254% more expensive than in Sfax, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Sfax is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$3.51 TND 10.13

400.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$20.77 TND 59.9

210.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$5.23 TND 15.10

122.75%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$0.76 TND 2.19

328.95%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.62 TND 1.78

301.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.28 TND 0.82

496.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$1.66 TND 4.80

109.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.09 TND 6.02

71.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$0.48 TND 1.38

145.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.23 TND 0.66

747.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.36 TND 3.92

14.71%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$1.65 TND 4.76

143.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$12.74 TND 36.75

4.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.88 TND 16.96

43.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$14.48 TND 41.79

25.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.88 TND 5.43

23.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$3.18 TND 9.17

-45.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.07 TND 3.08

80.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$0.70 TND 2.02

277.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$0.78 TND 2.24

143.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$0.78 TND 2.26

170.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.59 TND 1.69

144.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.35 TND 1.01

128.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.94 TND 11.37

77.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$6.89 TND 19.88

-14.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.20 TND 3.45

13.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.08 TND 3.12

99.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.18 TND 0.52

1222.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$10.21 TND 29.46

352.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.34 TND 0.98

1132.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.32 TND 0.94

243.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$7.48 TND 21.59

130.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$0.89 TND 2.57

152.81%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$37.6K TND 108.6K

-8.41%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$35.8K TND 103.2K

16.33%

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

$171 €147

$45.49 TND 131

275.64%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$9.58 TND 27.64

98.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$14.73 TND 42.51

132.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$28.12 TND 81.1

76.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$7.56 TND 21.81

158.07%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$4.68 TND 13.51

115.81%

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

$699 €603

$99.6 TND 287

602.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$2,515 TND 7,257

606.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$44.53 TND 128

134.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$36.53 TND 105

31.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$118 TND 340

-13.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$67.6 TND 195

89.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$196 TND 566

747.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$136 TND 393

802.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$347 TND 1,000

741.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$224 TND 647

801.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$1,018 TND 2,939

698.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$748 TND 2,158

519.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$342 TND 988

373.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

13.6

-72.21%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Sfax: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $196 in Sfax. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 373% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $21.00 in Sfax for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $199 per month, with Sfax 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 Sfax: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sfax differ by about 254% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $641 including rent). Sfax is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 373% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $196 in Sfax. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $99.6 in Sfax. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $641 in Sfax versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sfax but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sfax 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 Sfax 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 Sfax gentler on the wallet – expenses run 254% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.