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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $611 in Tema.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $989 in Tema.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,367 in Tema.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 262% more expensive than Tema, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Tema is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$7.50 GHS 88.0

112.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$27.73 GHS 326

133.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$8.18 GHS 96.0

28.48%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.46 GHS 17.14

96.58%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.00 GHS 11.78

124.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.33 GHS 3.93

354.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.74 GHS 20.38

100.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.69 GHS 31.63

44.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.98 GHS 34.94

-61.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.68 GHS 19.69

4.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.55 GHS 18.22

13.55%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.18 GHS 25.64

47.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$3.72 GHS 43.73

262.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$2.73 GHS 32.08

189.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$2.44 GHS 28.63

550.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.71 GHS 31.76

-14.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.08 GHS 24.38

-18.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.07 GHS 24.27

-2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.89 GHS 33.97

-14.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.84 GHS 21.60

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.97 GHS 23.15

1.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.61 GHS 7.16

216.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.82 GHS 9.63

-3.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$7.21 GHS 84.7

-20.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$0.82 GHS 9.66

67.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.03 GHS 23.87

16.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$39.80 GHS 467

14.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.42 GHS 16.64

202.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.77 GHS 9.00

6.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.19 GHS 13.98

73.11%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

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

$39.3K €33.8K

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

$148 €127

$30.84 GHS 362

379.47%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$12.26 GHS 144

67.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$64.6 GHS 759

-38.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$19.37 GHS 227

147.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

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

$614 €528

$82.4 GHS 967

645.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$25.07 GHS 294

317.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$24.67 GHS 290

70.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$45.82 GHS 538

105.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$60.6 GHS 712

97.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$117 GHS 1,371

1294.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$66.6 GHS 782

1783.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$139 GHS 1,629

1355.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$10.0K GHS 117.6K

-22.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$6,030 GHS 70.8K

-29.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$390 GHS 4,576

311.34%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tema: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $117 in Tema. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 311% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Tema for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 262% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $611 including rent). Tema is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 311% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $117 in Tema. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $82.4 in Tema. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 48% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $611 in Tema versus $2,210 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 262% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.