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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,129 in Tembisa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,768 in Tembisa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,406 in Tembisa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 101% more expensive than in Tembisa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Tembisa is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$10.52 R 169

66.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$41.92 R 675

53.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$5.82 R 93.7

100.17%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.37 R 38.18

37.55%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.13 R 18.15

120.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.89 R 14.28

87.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.44 R 39.22

42.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.73 R 44.02

31.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.22 R 19.61

-3.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.13 R 18.14

72.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.80 R 29.03

-13.33%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.61 R 42.00

53.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$8.71 R 140

52.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.43 R 87.4

55.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$7.65 R 123

138.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.93 R 31.03

20.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.66 R 26.71

4.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.84 R 29.58

4.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.70 R 27.31

55.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.55 R 25.02

22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.46 R 23.55

44.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.28 R 20.55

12.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.06 R 17.13

-24.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.61 R 58.1

94.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$5.57 R 89.7

6.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.42 R 22.89

-4.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.78 R 28.68

20.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.78 R 28.74

33.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.60 R 9.63

598.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.95 R 15.22

15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$8.86 R 143

94.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.51 R 24.25

49.01%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$39.5K R 635.9K

-12.71%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$34.8K R 560.5K

19.58%

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

$171 €147

$144 R 2,318

18.72%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$38.59 R 621

-50.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$37.91 R 611

-9.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$32.04 R 516

54.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.51 R 121

34.49%

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

$699 €603

$257 R 4,138

172.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,205 R 83.8K

241.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$50.5 R 814

107.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$29.46 R 474

62.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$118 R 1,905

-13.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$83.8 R 1,350

53.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$418 R 6,728

297.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$370 R 5,953

232.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$693 R 11.2K

320.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$771 R 12.4K

162.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$890 R 14.3K

812.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$623 R 10.0K

644.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$582 R 9,370

178.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-65.64%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Tembisa: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $418 in Tembisa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 178% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $42.00 in Tembisa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $200 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 101% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,129 including rent). Tembisa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 178% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $418 in Tembisa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,129 in Tembisa – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,129 in Tembisa versus $2,268 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 101% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.