Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tema Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tema

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $773 in Tema.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $1,223 in Tema.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,673 in Tema.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 200% more expensive than in Tema, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Tema is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$7.17 GHS 81.0

141.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$28.28 GHS 320

123.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$5.21 GHS 58.9

-38.77%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.92 GHS 10.34

166.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.31 GHS 3.52

467.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$3.42 GHS 38.62

4.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.72 GHS 30.68

24.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$3.40 GHS 38.44

-63.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.65 GHS 18.69

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.12 GHS 23.99

-28.30%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.44 GHS 27.57

65.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$4.52 GHS 51.1

199.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$3.31 GHS 37.35

153.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$3.49 GHS 39.39

422.92%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.60 GHS 29.38

-11.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.25 GHS 25.42

-22.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.24 GHS 25.26

-16.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$3.59 GHS 40.57

-26.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$3.62 GHS 40.93

-46.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.93 GHS 33.05

-28.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.42 GHS 4.79

242.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.74 GHS 8.37

13.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$1.31 GHS 14.76

417.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$8.77 GHS 99.1

-34.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.28 GHS 25.78

-39.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.19 GHS 36.01

-30.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$1.75 GHS 19.79

37.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$43.36 GHS 490

7.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$2.26 GHS 25.57

84.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.42 GHS 4.78

171.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.17 GHS 13.16

98.29%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

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

$41.4K €35.6K

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

$170 €146

$80.8 GHS 913

110.91%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$15.84 GHS 179

22.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$85.2 GHS 963

-60.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$24.86 GHS 281

93.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$8.86 GHS 100

11.96%

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

$717 €617

$177 GHS 2,005

304.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$2,686 GHS 30.4K

550.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$13.47 GHS 152

677.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$16.06 GHS 181

192.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$44.07 GHS 498

134.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$32.93 GHS 372

276.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$135 GHS 1,531

1137.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$73.4 GHS 829

1631.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$441 GHS 4,988

576.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$219 GHS 2,471

811.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$9,991 GHS 112.9K

-21.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$6,102 GHS 69.0K

-23.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$429 GHS 4,847

268.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

-89.17%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Tema: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $135 in Tema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 269% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Tema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $225 per month, with Tema 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 Tema: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tema differ by about 200% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $773 including rent). Tema is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 269% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $135 in Tema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $177 in Tema. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $773 in Tema versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tema but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tema 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 Tema 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 Tema gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.