Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tena Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $820 in Tena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,399 in Tena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,979 in Tena.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 180% more expensive than in Tena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Tena is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.24

$5.54 $5.54

217.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.5

$54.7 $54.7

14.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.04

$7.78 $7.78

48.84%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.69

$3.41 $3.41

-9.09%

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

$2.49 €2.16

$1.42 $1.42

75.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.51

$1.14 $1.14

52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.02

$3.42 $3.42

1.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €2.98

$5.62 $5.62

-38.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.11 $1.11

3.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.56 $1.56

22.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.50 $1.50

Eggs

$3.98 €3.45

$2.09 $2.09

90.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.52

$6.36 $6.36

108.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$5.74 $5.74

39.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.64

$7.60 $7.60

137.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$2.30 $2.30

2.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.19 $1.19

47.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$1.28 $1.28

44.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.21

$1.09 $1.09

133.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.25 $1.25

47.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.07 $1.07

96.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.87 $0.87

71.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.02 $1.02

-19.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.15

$6.09 $6.09

16.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.12

$9.86 $9.86

-40.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$1.53 $1.53

-14.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.85

$3.05 $3.05

-30.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.04

$0.36 $0.36

555.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.40

$20.17 $20.17

131.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.53

$1.52 $1.52

168.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.76 $0.76

50.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.81

$10.17 $10.17

68.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.00

$0.86 $0.86

168.60%

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

$34.1K €29.6K

$20.9K $20.9K

63.52%

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

$41.4K €35.9K

$28.2K $28.2K

46.75%

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

$169 €146

$28.51 $28.51

491.20%

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

$19.33 €16.75

$17.85 $17.85

8.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.04

$28.35 $28.35

18.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.32

$30.05 $30.05

62.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.84

$14.81 $14.81

31.20%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.29

$6.96 $6.96

37.50%

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

$696 €603

$215 $215

223.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.0K

$9,077 $9,077

91.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.3

$63.3 $63.3

66.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.38

$48.80 $48.80

-2.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.1

$114 $114

-11.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$108 $108

15.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,440

$300 $300

453.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,080

$184 $184

575.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,569

$685 $685

333.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,775

$411 $411

398.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,789

$1,094 $1,094

615.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,869

$784 $784

469.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,414

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

10.12

-62.65%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Tena: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $300 in Tena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $55.0 in Tena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $196 per month, with Tena 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 Tena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tena differ by about 180% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $820 including rent). Tena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,444 in Lisbon and $1,229 in Tena to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $300 in Tena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $215 in Tena. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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

At $820 in Tena versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tena but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tena 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 Tena 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 Tena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 180% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.