Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sutomore Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sutomore

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,139 in Sutomore.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,747 in Sutomore.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,354 in Sutomore.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 99% more expensive than in Sutomore, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Sutomore is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$11.39 €9.79

54.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$37.11 €31.91

73.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$9.25 €7.95

25.95%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$2.69 €2.31

21.19%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$2.25 €1.94

10.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.58 €1.36

5.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.84 €2.45

22.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$3.46 €2.97

3.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.19 €1.02

-0.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.01 €0.87

93.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$2.37 €2.04

-34.18%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$3.18 €2.74

26.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$9.18 €7.89

44.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$7.77 €6.68

8.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$12.76 €10.97

42.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.31 €1.13

77.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.60 €1.38

8.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.60 €1.38

20.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.01 €2.58

-12.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$0.89 €0.77

113.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.15 €0.99

83.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.53 €1.32

-5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.91 €0.78

-12.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$3.98 €3.42

76.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$4.58 €3.94

29.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.28 €1.10

6.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.74 €1.49

23.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.69 €1.45

40.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

$40.87 €35.14

13.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$1.14 €0.98

267.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$1.17 €1.01

-5.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$17.25 €14.84

0.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.73 €1.49

30.06%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$30.7K €26.4K

12.16%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$21.8K €18.8K

90.76%

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

$171 €147

$138 €118

24.23%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$13.76 €11.83

38.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$34.84 €29.96

-1.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$46.26 €39.78

7.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

$15.27 €13.13

27.77%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$6.42 €5.52

57.32%

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

$699 €601

$418 €359

67.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$7,360 €6,328

141.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$88.3 €75.9

18.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$34.96 €30.06

37.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$76.6 €65.9

32.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$99.5 €85.6

28.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$385 €331

331.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$292 €251

320.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$583 €501

400.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$532 €458

280.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$3,515 €3,023

131.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$2,427 €2,087

90.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

$702 €604

130.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-24.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Sutomore: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $385 in Sutomore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 131% 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 $37.00 in Sutomore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $227 per month, with Sutomore 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 Sutomore: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sutomore differ by about 99% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,139 including rent). Sutomore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 131% 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 $385 in Sutomore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $418 in Sutomore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,139 in Sutomore versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sutomore but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sutomore 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 Sutomore 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 Sutomore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.