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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $989 in Tembisa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,565 in Tembisa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,140 in Tembisa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 130% more expensive than in Tembisa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Tembisa is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$8.66 R 144

81.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$33.77 R 563

87.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$4.93 R 82.2

111.97%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$2.13 R 35.46

36.62%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.99 R 16.43

131.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.82 R 13.64

82.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$2.26 R 37.67

57.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$2.49 R 41.45

59.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.12 R 18.58

-3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.00 R 16.72

76.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$1.64 R 27.27

3.66%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$2.45 R 40.84

32.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$7.47 R 125

77.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$4.63 R 77.1

66.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$6.57 R 109

140.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.60 R 26.59

42.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.52 R 25.40

9.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.55 R 25.81

30.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$1.57 R 26.21

57.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.30 R 21.72

37.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.22 R 20.36

69.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.09 R 18.19

80.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$0.98 R 16.37

-15.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$2.73 R 45.54

139.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$4.26 R 71.0

30.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.39 R 23.18

-4.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$1.66 R 27.73

81.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$1.62 R 26.96

40.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$1.13 R 18.87

274.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.96 R 16.02

-11.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$3.95 R 65.8

376.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$1.29 R 21.46

56.59%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$21.5K R 358.8K

62.32%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$23.6K R 392.3K

68.32%

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

$148 €129

$118 R 1,965

25.40%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$35.04 R 584

-41.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$40.95 R 682

-3.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$30.54 R 509

57.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$6.74 R 112

35.01%

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

$615 €536

$195 R 3,245

215.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$4,332 R 72.2K

275.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$50.7 R 844

100.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$32.44 R 540

29.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$88.9 R 1,480

3.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$78.9 R 1,314

54.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$357 R 5,947

351.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$332 R 5,536

277.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$686 R 11.4K

347.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$680 R 11.3K

199.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$899 R 15.0K

761.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$553 R 9,217

674.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$552 R 9,189

190.37%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Tembisa: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $357 in Tembisa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 190% 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 $34.00 in Tembisa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $175 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 130% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $989 including rent). Tembisa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 190% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $357 in Tembisa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $989 in Tembisa – a 130% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $989 in Tembisa versus $2,280 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 130% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.