Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Telsiai Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Telsiai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,425 in Telsiai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,223 in Telsiai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $3,022 in Telsiai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 59% more expensive than Telsiai, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Telsiai 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$13.72 €11.89

16.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$68.3 €59.2

-7.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.00

$9.45 €8.19

9.84%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$3.71 €3.21

-24.80%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$2.11 €1.83

10.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$2.43 €2.10

-35.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$5.34 €4.62

-35.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$5.09 €4.41

-23.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.53 €1.33

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$1.53 €1.33

15.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$2.61 €2.27

-34.48%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$2.82 €2.44

11.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$12.42 €10.76

10.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$7.26 €6.30

10.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.45

$12.44 €10.78

24.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$1.52 €1.31

50.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.61 €1.40

1.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$2.10 €1.82

-7.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$3.30 €2.86

-23.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.87 €0.76

105.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$1.03 €0.89

95.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.84 €1.60

7.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.96 €0.83

-12.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.88

$5.72 €4.96

18.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$10.24 €8.88

-44.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.73 €1.50

-19.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$2.20 €1.91

37.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.18 €1.02

92.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.38

$34.19 €29.63

32.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$3.27 €2.83

31.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.12 €0.97

-24.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.84

$16.08 €13.93

13.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.71 €1.48

16.37%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$34.5K €29.9K

1.64%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$32.5K €28.2K

21.71%

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

$146 €127

$243 €211

-39.95%

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

$20.45 €17.72

$14.19 €12.29

44.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.78

$17.25 €14.95

125.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.46

$42.89 €37.17

14.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.32

$23.49 €20.36

-19.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.25

$9.44 €8.18

0.85%

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

$608 €527

$622 €539

-2.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$9,124 €7,907

80.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.0

$86.5 €74.9

20.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.50

$42.01 €36.41

0.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$107 €92.7

-13.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$129 €112

-7.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,405

$538 €466

201.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

$362 €314

250.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,642

$848 €735

259.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,741

$655 €567

206.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,641

$2,706 €2,345

183.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,752

$1,772 €1,536

144.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.49

-15.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Telsiai: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $538 in Telsiai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $68.0 in Telsiai. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $263, with Telsiai 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 Telsiai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Telsiai differ by about 59% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,425 including rent). Telsiai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,394 in Lisbon and $2,137 in Telsiai 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $538 in Telsiai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $622 in Telsiai. 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 $1,425 in Telsiai versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Telsiai but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Telsiai 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 Telsiai 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 Telsiai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.