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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,021 in Tembisa.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,579 in Tembisa.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,137 in Tembisa.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 122% more expensive than Tembisa, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Tembisa is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$8.68 R 140

83.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$32.97 R 533

92.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$4.85 R 78.5

114.02%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.09 R 33.77

33.49%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.03 R 16.64

127.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.77 R 12.50

103.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.20 R 35.52

55.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.56 R 41.36

52.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.12 R 18.08

-3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.06 R 17.11

66.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.57 R 25.41

8.92%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.39 R 38.72

31.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$7.86 R 127

74.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$4.52 R 73.1

77.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$6.53 R 105

137.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.66 R 26.83

37.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.48 R 23.98

10.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.48 R 23.93

31.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.62 R 26.26

54.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.32 R 21.38

35.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.24 R 20.04

62.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.09 R 17.55

80.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.93 R 14.97

-9.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$2.72 R 43.97

149.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$5.10 R 82.4

11.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.39 R 22.49

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.65 R 26.66

83.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.63 R 26.40

39.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.10 R 17.76

290.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.88 R 14.15

-3.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$3.93 R 63.6

365.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.23 R 19.90

61.79%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$21.7K R 350.2K

61.75%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$23.8K R 384.9K

66.09%

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

$146 €126

$117 R 1,885

25.40%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$34.60 R 559

-40.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$41.91 R 678

-6.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$30.76 R 497

59.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$6.80 R 110

40.00%

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

$608 €524

$196 R 3,175

209.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$4,308 R 69.6K

283.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$51.1 R 825

103.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$32.45 R 525

29.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$87.6 R 1,416

5.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$79.9 R 1,291

50.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$357 R 5,771

354.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$329 R 5,316

285.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$685 R 11.1K

345.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$688 R 11.1K

191.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$968 R 15.6K

691.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$670 R 10.8K

546.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$565 R 9,128

180.70%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Tembisa: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $357 in Tembisa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 181% 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 $33.00 in Tembisa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $177 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 122% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,021 including rent). Tembisa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 181% 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: $1,621 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 $2,263 per month in Lisbon versus $1,021 in Tembisa – a 122% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,021 in Tembisa versus $2,263 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 122% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.