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Last update: Nov 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Timbo
For one person, living is cheaper in Timbo: $717 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Timbo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $717 in Timbo.
Lisbon $2,206
Timbo $717
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $1,165 in Timbo.
Lisbon $3,276
Timbo $1,165
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,614 in Timbo.
Lisbon $4,346
Timbo $1,614
🌍
Living in Lisbon is roughly 208% more expensive than in Timbo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 63% above, Timbo is 47% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Timbo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86€15.08
$4.62R$25.22
264.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0€54.6
$36.83R$201
65.73%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.98€9.82
$3.81R$20.78
188.19%
Cappuccino
$3.05€2.73
$1.88R$10.24
62.23%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28€2.04
$0.99R$5.42
130.30%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68€1.50
$0.68R$3.72
147.06%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.44€3.07
$1.80R$9.82
91.11%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91€3.49
$2.19R$11.93
78.54%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Timbo
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.15€1.03
$0.81R$4.41
41.98%
White Bread(500g)
$1.89€1.69
$1.43R$7.81
32.17%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.50€1.34
$0.81R$4.41
85.19%
Eggs
$4.12€3.68
$1.67R$9.12
146.71%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$13.01€11.63
$7.65R$41.77
70.07%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.04€7.19
$3.24R$17.70
148.15%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.89€16.00
$6.93R$37.86
158.15%
Apples(1kg)
$2.27€2.03
$1.68R$9.20
35.12%
Banana(1kg)
$1.74€1.56
$0.67R$3.68
159.70%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.82€1.63
$0.77R$4.21
136.36%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.69€2.40
$1.29R$7.04
108.53%
Potato(1kg)
$1.77€1.58
$0.81R$4.43
118.52%
Onion(1kg)
$1.94€1.73
$0.75R$4.09
158.67%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.46€1.31
$0.63R$3.44
131.75%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76€0.68
$0.78R$4.26
-2.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66€5.95
$1.46R$8.00
356.16%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.64€5.04
$4.52R$24.66
24.78%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29€1.15
$1.00R$5.48
29.00%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14€1.91
$1.90R$10.38
12.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Timbo
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.30€2.06
$0.94R$5.16
144.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.02€39.36
$41.54R$227
5.97%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.98€3.56
$1.18R$6.44
237.29%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.64€0.57
$0.78R$4.23
-17.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$18.93€16.92
$5.79R$31.63
226.94%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.28€2.03
$0.92R$5.01
147.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K€29.8K
$21.4KR$116.7K
56.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K€34.4K
$25.5KR$139.4K
50.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Timbo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$158€141
$52.5R$286
201.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54€15.68
$11.97R$65.4
46.53%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18€27.89
$21.39R$117
45.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Timbo
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.64€39.92
$24.49R$134
82.28%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98€16.97
$25.53R$139
-25.66%
Cinema Ticket
$9.58€8.56
$5.52R$30.13
73.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Timbo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$674€602
$225R$1,229
199.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$18.7K€16.7K
$2,629R$14.4K
612.31%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Timbo
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102€91.4
$29.98R$164
240.86%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90€41.04
$36.59R$200
25.44%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$102€91.4
$56.4R$308
81.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122€109
$45.64R$249
167.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Timbo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,641€1,467
$340R$1,857
382.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,187€1,062
$231R$1,260
414.65%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,825€2,526
$625R$3,413
351.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,018€1,805
$443R$2,418
355.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,836€7,007
$1,569R$8,567
399.44%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,701€4,204
$1,128R$6,162
316.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Timbo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,687€1,508
$640R$3,495
163.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.82
11
-65.27%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026
Last update for Timbo: November 2, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K 53.8%
Timbo
$231 32.2% ↓ 80.6%$957
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275 12.5%
Timbo
$148 20.6% ↓ 46.1%$127
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$245 11.1%
Timbo
$91 12.7% ↓ 62.9%$154
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207 9.4%
Timbo
$86 12% ↓ 58.5%$121
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168 7.6%
Timbo
$76 10.6% ↓ 54.7%$92
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64 2.9%
Timbo
$36 5% ↓ 44.3%$28
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$60 2.7%
Timbo
$50 7% ↓ 16.6%$10
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$2K 46.4%
Timbo
$443 27.4% ↓ 78.1%$1.6K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$655 15.1%
Timbo
$341 21.1% ↓ 48%$314
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$804 18.5%
Timbo
$364 22.6% ↓ 54.6%$439
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$224 5.2%
Timbo
$98 6.1% ↓ 56.4%$127
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$372 8.6%
Timbo
$169 10.5% ↓ 54.7%$204
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$147 3.4%
Timbo
$97 6% ↓ 34.1%$50
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$125 2.9%
Timbo
$103 6.4% ↓ 18.2%$23
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $340 in Timbo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays about 2.6 times 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: $61 in Lisbon vs $37 in Timbo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $148 per month, with Timbo cheaper across the board.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
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
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Timbo?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $717 in Timbo, so Timbo is about 67% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Timbo?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 2.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Timbo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $340 in Timbo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Timbo?
Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $225 in Timbo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $717 in Timbo versus $2,206 in Lisbon, a $1,200 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.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Timbo?
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.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Timbo?
Expats usually find Timbo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.