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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $681 in Timbo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,108 in Timbo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,535 in Timbo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 224% more expensive than Timbo, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Timbo is 49% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.81

$4.49 R$23.12

254.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$33.01 R$170

96.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$3.56 R$18.32

195.22%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$1.77 R$9.14

62.15%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$0.96 R$4.93

133.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.60 R$3.11

150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$1.66 R$8.55

110.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$2.14 R$11.04

81.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.83 R$4.27

37.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.39 R$7.14

25.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.84 R$4.34

109.52%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$1.64 R$8.43

96.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.71

$7.00 R$36.04

92.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$3.24 R$16.67

144.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$6.65 R$34.25

138.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.59 R$8.19

45.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$0.64 R$3.31

165.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$0.75 R$3.85

168.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$1.21 R$6.21

103.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$0.88 R$4.52

109.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$0.88 R$4.53

127.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$0.57 R$2.94

238.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.66 R$3.39

19.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$1.43 R$7.36

362.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$4.84 R$24.94

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.02 R$5.25

34.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$1.85 R$9.54

60.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$0.88 R$4.51

169.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.53

$38.62 R$199

17.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$1.16 R$5.98

269.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.71 R$3.64

15.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$6.32 R$32.57

189.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$0.88 R$4.53

134.09%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$18.4K R$94.6K

86.72%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$24.5K R$126.3K

60.21%

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

$148 €128

$52.6 R$271

181.18%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$11.48 R$59.2

78.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$20.90 R$108

89.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$22.17 R$114

115.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$21.30 R$110

-11.17%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$5.54 R$28.53

65.70%

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

$614 €533

$215 R$1,107

185.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$2,601 R$13.4K

517.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$28.50 R$147

267.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$35.89 R$185

17.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$53.8 R$277

74.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$45.36 R$234

163.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$316 R$1,630

414.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$213 R$1,096

489.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$594 R$3,058

410.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$435 R$2,240

364.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,767

$1,563 R$8,052

398.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$1,177 R$6,061

263.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

$706 R$3,637

127.11%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Timbo: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $316 in Timbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 127% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $33.00 in Timbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 224% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $681 including rent). Timbo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 127% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $316 in Timbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $215 in Timbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $681 in Timbo versus $2,210 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 224% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.