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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,422 in Telsiai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $2,197 in Telsiai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $2,972 in Telsiai.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 55% more expensive than in Telsiai, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Telsiai 6% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.81

$13.98 €12.29

12.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.3

$69.2 €60.9

-9.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.26

$8.98 €7.90

17.26%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.54

$3.77 €3.31

-23.61%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$2.06 €1.81

9.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$2.41 €2.12

-35.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.98

$5.30 €4.66

-36.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.43

$5.16 €4.53

-24.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.55 €1.36

-30.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$1.54 €1.35

12.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$2.62 €2.31

-32.82%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.78

$2.89 €2.54

9.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.68

$12.79 €11.24

3.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.92

$6.92 €6.09

13.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.92

$12.58 €11.06

25.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$1.55 €1.36

54.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.50

$1.64 €1.44

3.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.08 €1.82

-2.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$3.31 €2.91

-23.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$0.88 €0.78

111.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.09 €0.96

88.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.92 €1.69

4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.69

$0.94 €0.83

-17.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.84

$5.72 €5.03

16.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.08

$9.75 €8.57

-40.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.68 €1.48

-17.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$2.13 €1.87

41.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.05

$1.14 €1.00

104.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.96

$33.36 €29.32

36.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$3.37 €2.96

21.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$1.12 €0.98

-28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.39

$16.17 €14.21

15.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.74 €1.53

14.94%

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

$35.4K €31.1K

$34.4K €30.2K

2.98%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$32.9K €28.9K

18.78%

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

$150 €132

$237 €209

-36.77%

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

$20.55 €18.07

$14.19 €12.48

44.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.68

$16.83 €14.79

134.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.25

$42.43 €37.30

13.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.44

$23.06 €20.27

-18.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.18

$9.23 €8.11

0.76%

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

$628 €552

$616 €541

1.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.5K

$9,271 €8,150

77.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.3

$88.4 €77.7

14.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.52

$41.59 €36.56

-0.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.3

$111 €97.3

-16.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$130 €115

-5.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,431

$529 €465

207.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,084

$353 €310

249.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,748

$845 €743

270.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,809

$647 €569

218.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,824

$2,595 €2,281

199.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,856

$1,951 €1,715

124.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,425

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Telsiai: July 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $529 in Telsiai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $69.0 in Telsiai. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $262, 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 55% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,422 including rent). Telsiai is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $2,133 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $529 in Telsiai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 in Lisbon versus $616 in Telsiai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,422 in Telsiai versus $2,210 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 55% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.