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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $624 in Tema.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $995 in Tema.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,365 in Tema.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 267% more expensive than in Tema, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Tema is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$7.19 GHS 83.0

125.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$27.76 GHS 321

128.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.82 GHS 90.3

31.97%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.46 GHS 16.84

93.84%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.04 GHS 12.05

120.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.31 GHS 3.57

409.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.74 GHS 20.04

95.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.67 GHS 30.81

50.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$3.05 GHS 35.25

-64.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.62 GHS 18.66

8.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.56 GHS 18.06

12.82%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.19 GHS 25.24

44.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$3.66 GHS 42.30

260.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$2.64 GHS 30.46

201.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$2.41 GHS 27.83

544.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.83 GHS 32.68

-16.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.02 GHS 23.38

-15.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.09 GHS 24.13

-3.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.86 GHS 32.98

-15.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.82 GHS 20.99

-3.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.99 GHS 22.93

2.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.64 GHS 7.39

200.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.88 GHS 10.13

-3.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$7.04 GHS 81.3

-20.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$0.88 GHS 10.11

51.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.10 GHS 24.28

8.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$40.03 GHS 462

14.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.36 GHS 15.76

211.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.76 GHS 8.76

6.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.20 GHS 13.81

73.33%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

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

$39.2K €34.3K

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

$148 €130

$31.32 GHS 362

372.70%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$12.42 GHS 143

64.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$64.6 GHS 746

-38.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$19.29 GHS 223

148.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

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

$616 €539

$83.0 GHS 958

642.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$24.46 GHS 282

319.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$24.21 GHS 280

72.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$45.56 GHS 526

108.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$61.8 GHS 714

97.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$118 GHS 1,364

1281.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$65.8 GHS 760

1772.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$136 GHS 1,575

1390.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$9,960 GHS 115.0K

-21.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$6,047 GHS 69.8K

-27.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$414 GHS 4,777

288.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

32.5

-88.28%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Tema: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $118 in Tema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 289% 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 $267 vs $183 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 267% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $624 including rent). Tema is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 289% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $118 in Tema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $83.0 in Tema. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $624 in Tema versus $2,291 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 267% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.