Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sumba

For one person, living is cheaper in Sumba: $207 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Sumba

🇫🇴 Faroe Islands

$207

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Sumba

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Sumba actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $207 in Sumba.

Lisbon $2,223
Sumba $207

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $280 in Sumba.

Lisbon $3,271
Sumba $280

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $353 in Sumba.

Lisbon $4,319
Sumba $353

Living in Lisbon is roughly 973% more expensive than in Sumba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Sumba is 85% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

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

$2.26 €2.01

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.22 FOK 14.75

-49.55%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$10.60 FOK 70.5

-38.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$12.16 FOK 80.9

-53.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$2.31 FOK 15.35

-44.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.81 FOK 12.01

14.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$4.42 FOK 29.42

-46.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.97 FOK 13.08

15.74%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

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

$39.3K €35.0K

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

$167 €149

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

$18.80 €16.72

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$60.1 FOK 400

-44.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$37.77 FOK 251

21.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$14.98 FOK 99.6

-34.31%

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

$677 €602

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Sumba: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Sumba

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Sumba

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Sumba

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Sumba

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Sumba

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Sumba

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Sumba

–

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇫🇴 Sumba

🕒 Local time

10:29 10:29 AM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

300

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Faroese Króna FOK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 FOK = 0.15 USD

1 FOK = 0.134 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Sumba 2,530 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

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Lisbon vs Sumba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sumba differ by about 973% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $207 including rent). Sumba is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,335 in Lisbon and $311 in Sumba to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 337% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $207 in Sumba – a 973% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $207 in Sumba versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sumba but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sumba 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 Sumba 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 Sumba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 973% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.