Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tembisa Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tembisa

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,019 in Tembisa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,593 in Tembisa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $2,166 in Tembisa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 120% more expensive than Tembisa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Tembisa is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$8.67 R 143

81.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$33.22 R 547

90.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$4.73 R 77.8

118.18%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$2.13 R 35.01

31.92%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$0.98 R 16.17

137.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.76 R 12.45

98.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$2.26 R 37.27

49.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$2.44 R 40.27

60.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.16 R 19.14

-6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.05 R 17.22

66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$1.62 R 26.64

8.02%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.48 R 40.92

25.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$7.93 R 131

67.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$4.52 R 74.5

73.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$6.78 R 112

136.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.65 R 27.23

44.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.48 R 24.31

16.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.47 R 24.20

34.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.66 R 27.31

53.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.32 R 21.69

35.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.23 R 20.33

60.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.08 R 17.84

81.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.93 R 15.24

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$2.79 R 45.88

144.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$4.89 R 80.5

19.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.33 R 21.88

3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$1.65 R 27.10

76.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$1.69 R 27.80

35.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$1.15 R 18.88

258.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.94 R 15.45

-13.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$4.13 R 68.0

358.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.29 R 21.31

62.02%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$20.9K R 344.8K

67.72%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$24.3K R 399.9K

63.57%

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

$150 €128

$120 R 1,983

24.22%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$34.49 R 568

-40.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$41.32 R 681

-5.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$31.40 R 517

58.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$6.53 R 108

40.89%

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

$624 €533

$199 R 3,282

213.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$4,280 R 70.5K

271.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$51.1 R 841

100.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$32.35 R 533

26.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$88.0 R 1,450

8.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$80.6 R 1,327

50.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$361 R 5,952

357.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$334 R 5,495

269.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$684 R 11.3K

344.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$686 R 11.3K

200.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$661 R 10.9K

1092.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$612 R 10.1K

603.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$569 R 9,368

175.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.51

-66.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Tembisa: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $361 in Tembisa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 175% 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 in Lisbon vs $33 in Tembisa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $178 per month, with Tembisa 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 Tembisa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tembisa differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,019 including rent). Tembisa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 175% 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $361 in Tembisa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,243 per month in Lisbon versus $1,019 in Tembisa – a 120% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,019 in Tembisa versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tembisa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tembisa 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 Tembisa 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 Tembisa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 120% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.