Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sutomore

For one person, living is cheaper in Sutomore: $1,095 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Sutomore
🇲🇪 Montenegro
$1,095
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Sutomore

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 Sutomore actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $1,095 in Sutomore.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Sutomore $1,095

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $1,682 in Sutomore.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Sutomore $1,682

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $2,269 in Sutomore.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Sutomore $2,269

Living in Lisbon is roughly 101% more expensive than in Sutomore, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Sutomore is 19% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Sutomore
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$11.24 €10.00
51.60%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$35.96 €31.99
73.22%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$9.16 €8.14
20.31%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$2.59 €2.30
20.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.20 €1.96
3.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.47 €1.31
18.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$2.85 €2.53
20.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$3.44 €3.06
8.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Sutomore
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.19 €1.06
-1.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.01 €0.90
84.16%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$2.25 €2.00
-31.56%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$3.08 €2.74
31.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$8.77 €7.80
47.21%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$7.55 €6.71
4.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$12.24 €10.89
44.12%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.26 €1.12
79.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.49 €1.32
17.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.47 €1.31
28.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$2.87 €2.56
-10.80%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$0.85 €0.75
117.65%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.09 €0.97
80.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.46 €1.30
-0.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.89 €0.79
-13.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$3.85 €3.42
74.29%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$4.56 €4.05
24.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.24 €1.10
10.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$1.68 €1.50
25.60%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Sutomore
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$1.65 €1.47
40.61%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
$38.44 €34.19
15.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$1.14 €1.01
246.49%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$1.14 €1.01
-7.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$16.91 €15.04
1.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.77 €1.57
23.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$28.7K €25.5K
17.67%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$21.3K €18.9K
79.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Sutomore
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$133 €118
23.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$13.19 €11.73
40.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$33.34 €29.65
-1.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Sutomore
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$45.68 €40.63
0.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
$14.42 €12.83
29.54%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$5.97 €5.31
63.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Sutomore
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$395 €352
73.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$6,959 €6,190
153.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Sutomore
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$84.5 €75.2
22.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$33.24 €29.56
38.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$72.2 €64.2
38.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$93.0 €82.8
34.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Sutomore
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$370 €329
329.59%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$275 €245
324.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$559 €497
410.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$494 €439
303.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$3,356 €2,985
132.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$2,300 €2,046
92.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Sutomore
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
$669 €595
139.08%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5
-23.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sutomore: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Sutomore
$275 76.5% $894
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Sutomore
$219 19.6% $54
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Sutomore
$184 25.5% $63
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Sutomore
$179 16.8% $36
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Sutomore
$127 24.4% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Sutomore
$58 11.9% $7.8
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Sutomore
$52 17.5% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $370 in Sutomore. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 139% 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 $36.00 in Sutomore for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $219 per month, with Sutomore cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇲🇪 Sutomore
🕒 Local time
03:49 3:49 AM
04:49 4:49 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
2,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 25, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Sutomore 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Sutomore

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Sutomore?
Lisbon and Sutomore differ by about 101% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $1,095 including rent). Sutomore is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Sutomore?
Average pay runs 139% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Sutomore?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $370 in Sutomore. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Sutomore?
Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $395 in Sutomore. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,095 in Sutomore versus $2,202 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.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Sutomore?
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.
Is Lisbon or Sutomore safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Sutomore?
Expats usually find Sutomore gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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