Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tartu Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tartu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,602 in Tartu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,412 in Tartu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $3,223 in Tartu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 40% more expensive than Tartu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 67% above, Tartu 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$17.28 €14.74

-8.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$70.4 €60.1

-10.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$10.01 €8.54

3.10%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.70 €3.16

-24.05%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$2.48 €2.12

-6.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.84 €2.42

-46.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$5.36 €4.57

-37.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$5.83 €4.97

-32.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.32 €1.13

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.49 €1.27

17.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.37 €2.02

-26.16%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.96 €2.53

4.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$12.14 €10.35

9.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$8.47 €7.22

-7.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$11.37 €9.70

41.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.99 €1.70

20.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.58 €1.34

8.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.48 €2.12

-20.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$2.41 €2.05

5.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.99 €0.84

80.81%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.09 €0.93

80.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.98 €1.69

-1.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$1.04 €0.89

-19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$6.55 €5.59

4.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$10.77 €9.19

-45.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.01 €1.72

-31.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.18 €1.86

33.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$1.70 €1.45

34.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$30.48 €26.00

53.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$3.30 €2.82

24.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.75 €0.64

8.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$19.94 €17.01

-5.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.86 €1.59

12.37%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$28.5K €24.3K

23.09%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$31.1K €26.5K

27.71%

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

$150 €128

$269 €230

-44.50%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$22.34 €19.06

-8.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$36.62 €31.23

6.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$48.88 €41.69

1.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$31.81 €27.13

-41.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$11.52 €9.82

-20.14%

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

$624 €533

$117 €99.6

434.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$8,326 €7,102

91.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$122 €104

-16.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$40.09 €34.20

1.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$100 €85.7

-4.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$107 €91.5

12.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$665 €568

148.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$438 €373

181.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$1,105 €942

175.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$796 €679

158.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$3,681 €3,140

114.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$2,790 €2,380

54.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$2,020 €1,723

-22.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.3

-11.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Tartu: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $665 in Tartu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tartu pays 29% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $70 in Tartu. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $265, with Tartu cheaper for home cooking.

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 Tartu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tartu differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,602 including rent). Tartu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Tartu earns 29% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $665 in Tartu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $117 in Tartu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,602 in Tartu versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Tartu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tartu 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 Tartu 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 Tartu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.