Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Timbo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Timbo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $686 in Timbo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,107 in Timbo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $1,527 in Timbo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 227% more expensive than Timbo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Timbo is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$4.59 R$22.80

242.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$32.25 R$160

95.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$3.58 R$17.81

188.27%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$1.76 R$8.72

59.66%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.02 R$5.05

128.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.66 R$3.28

128.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$1.76 R$8.72

91.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$2.22 R$11.05

76.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$0.79 R$3.91

36.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.33 R$6.62

31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.80 R$3.97

118.75%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$1.69 R$8.40

83.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$7.06 R$35.09

88.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$3.22 R$16.01

143.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$6.69 R$33.24

139.91%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.63 R$8.10

46.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$0.61 R$3.03

181.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.74 R$3.68

166.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$1.21 R$6.01

110.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.94 R$4.65

90.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.93 R$4.62

111.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.56 R$2.77

250.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.68 R$3.36

23.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$1.48 R$7.36

360.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$4.95 R$24.58

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$0.97 R$4.82

42.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$1.78 R$8.84

64.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.92 R$4.57

148.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$39.22 R$195

19.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$1.15 R$5.71

258.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.70 R$3.48

15.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$6.47 R$32.18

192.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$0.88 R$4.38

137.50%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$18.7K R$92.8K

88.05%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$24.5K R$121.7K

62.20%

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

$150 €128

$52.1 R$259

187.17%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$11.68 R$58.1

75.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$20.72 R$103

88.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$22.91 R$114

116.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$21.21 R$105

-12.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$5.51 R$27.37

66.97%

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

$624 €533

$212 R$1,055

194.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$2,639 R$13.1K

502.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$28.97 R$144

252.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$35.72 R$178

14.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$53.7 R$267

78.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$45.22 R$225

167.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$309 R$1,537

434.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$220 R$1,094

459.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$578 R$2,874

426.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$424 R$2,105

386.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$1,705 R$8,476

361.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$1,180 R$5,865

264.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$712 R$3,540

119.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-65.36%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Timbo: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $309 in Timbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 120% 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 $32 in Timbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $143 per month, with Timbo 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 Timbo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Timbo differ by about 227% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $686 including rent). Timbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 120% 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 $309 in Timbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $212 in Timbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 89% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $686 in Timbo versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Timbo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Timbo 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 Timbo 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 Timbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 227% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.