Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tamarin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tamarin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $986 in Tamarin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,676 in Tamarin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,366 in Tamarin.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 126% more expensive than Tamarin, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Tamarin is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$6.48 MUR 303

149.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$42.52 MUR 1,989

51.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$5.44 MUR 255

90.81%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.54 MUR 119

9.06%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.92 MUR 43.19

144.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.55 MUR 25.79

185.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.69 MUR 79.2

106.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$1.80 MUR 84.3

122.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.49 MUR 69.8

-27.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.37 MUR 17.13

370.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.26 MUR 59.0

38.10%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.14 MUR 100

48.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$5.59 MUR 262

140.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.04 MUR 282

32.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$10.06 MUR 471

59.94%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.99 MUR 93.2

14.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.02 MUR 94.7

-14.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.43 MUR 66.9

35.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$2.70 MUR 126

-5.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.01 MUR 47.48

81.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.00 MUR 46.96

104.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.80 MUR 37.32

147.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.74 MUR 34.77

14.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$6.41 MUR 300

6.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$8.81 MUR 412

-34.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.74 MUR 81.6

-21.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.70 MUR 79.4

70.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.12 MUR 52.2

103.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$11.13 MUR 521

320.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$4.32 MUR 202

-5.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.62 MUR 123

-68.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$6.73 MUR 315

171.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.25 MUR 58.6

60.80%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

22.22%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$27.4K MUR 1.3M

40.40%

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

$145 €124

$48.56 MUR 2,272

199.42%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$16.37 MUR 766

28.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$30.26 MUR 1,416

32.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$49.33 MUR 2,308

-1.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$10.95 MUR 512

70.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.02 MUR 282

50.50%

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

$607 €519

$150 MUR 7,004

305.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$3,109 MUR 145.5K

425.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$58.1 MUR 2,716

80.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$47.77 MUR 2,235

-14.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$86.8 MUR 4,061

7.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$58.1 MUR 2,717

104.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$756 MUR 35.3K

112.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$386 MUR 18.1K

220.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,426 MUR 66.7K

113.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$921 MUR 43.1K

123.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$861 MUR 40.3K

83.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-36.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Tamarin: April 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $756 in Tamarin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 84% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $43.00 in Tamarin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $198 per month, with Tamarin 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 Tamarin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tamarin differ by about 126% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $986 including rent). Tamarin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 84% more on average, 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $756 in Tamarin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $150 in Tamarin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $986 in Tamarin versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tamarin but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tamarin 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 Tamarin 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 Tamarin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 126% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.