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Last update: Nov 2026
Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tongi
For one person, living is cheaper in Tongi: $328 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 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 Tongi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $328 in Tongi.
Lisbon $2,206
Tongi $328
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $534 in Tongi.
Lisbon $3,276
Tongi $534
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $741 in Tongi.
Lisbon $4,346
Tongi $741
🌍
Living in Lisbon is roughly 573% more expensive than in Tongi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 63% above, Tongi is 76% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Tongi
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86€15.08
$2.02৳252
734.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0€54.6
$9.27৳1,158
558.47%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.98€9.82
$4.64৳579
136.64%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.01৳375
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.21৳526
-
Cappuccino
$3.05€2.73
$1.75৳219
74.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28€2.04
$0.35৳43.14
551.43%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68€1.50
$0.15৳18.80
1020.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.44€3.07
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91€3.49
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Tongi
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.15€1.03
$0.71৳88.5
61.97%
White Bread(500g)
$1.89€1.69
$0.49৳60.7
285.71%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.50€1.34
$0.63৳78.6
138.10%
Eggs
$4.12€3.68
$1.15৳144
258.26%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$13.01€11.63
$7.47৳932
74.16%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.04€7.19
$2.43৳303
230.86%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.89€16.00
$6.53৳815
173.97%
Apples(1kg)
$2.27€2.03
$2.40৳300
-5.42%
Banana(1kg)
$1.74€1.56
$0.95৳119
83.16%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.82€1.63
$1.96৳245
-7.14%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.69€2.40
$0.58৳72.9
363.79%
Potato(1kg)
$1.77€1.58
$0.26৳32.16
580.77%
Onion(1kg)
$1.94€1.73
$0.53৳66.7
266.04%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.46€1.31
$0.41৳50.8
256.10%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76€0.68
$0.23৳28.72
230.43%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
-
$7.73৳965
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.48৳309
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$4.69৳585
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66€5.95
$3.01৳376
121.26%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.64€5.04
-
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29€1.15
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14€1.91
-
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🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Tongi
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.30€2.06
$0.37৳45.95
521.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.02€39.36
-
-
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.98€3.56
$0.79৳98.6
403.80%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.64€0.57
$0.38৳47.81
68.42%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$18.93€16.92
$2.75৳343
588.36%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.28€2.03
$1.23৳153
85.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K€29.8K
$29.2K৳3.6M
14.37%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K€34.4K
$26.9K৳3.4M
43.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Tongi
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$158€141
$29.56৳3,691
435.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54€15.68
$4.20৳525
317.62%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18€27.89
$7.97৳995
291.22%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Tongi
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.64€39.92
$13.22৳1,651
237.67%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98€16.97
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Cinema Ticket
$9.58€8.56
$3.60৳450
166.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Tongi
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$674€602
$25.01৳3,123
2593.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$18.7K€16.7K
$1,527৳190.6K
1126.78%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Tongi
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102€91.4
$22.05৳2,754
363.45%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90€41.04
$23.42৳2,924
95.99%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$102€91.4
$31.59৳3,944
223.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122€109
$33.81৳4,222
260.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Tongi
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,641€1,467
$86.6৳10.8K
1795.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,187€1,062
$50.6৳6,313
2248.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,825€2,526
$168৳21.0K
1577.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,018€1,805
$116৳14.5K
1635.47%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,836€7,007
$756৳94.4K
936.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,701€4,204
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💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Tongi
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,687€1,508
$98.7৳12.3K
1608.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.82
10.79
-64.60%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026
Last update for Tongi: 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%
Tongi
$51 15.4% ↓ 95.7%$1.1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275 12.5%
Tongi
$108 32.9% ↓ 60.7%$167
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$245 11.1%
Tongi
$53 16.2% ↓ 78.4%$192
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207 9.4%
Tongi
$42 12.7% ↓ 79.8%$165
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168 7.6%
Tongi
$50 15.2% ↓ 70.2%$118
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64 2.9%
Tongi
$20 6.2% ↓ 68%$43
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$60 2.7%
Tongi
$4.2 * 1.3% ↓ 93.1%$56
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$2K 46.4%
Tongi
$116 15.7% ↓ 94.2%$1.9K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$655 15.1%
Tongi
$267 36% ↓ 59.3%$388
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$804 18.5%
Tongi
$151 20.4% ↓ 81.2%$653
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$224 5.2%
Tongi
$46 6.2% ↓ 79.5%$179
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$372 8.6%
Tongi
$111 15% ↓ 70.2%$261
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$147 3.4%
Tongi
$41 * 5.5% ↓ 72.1%$106
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$125 2.9%
Tongi
$9.1 * 1.2% ↓ 92.8%$116
Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $87 in Tongi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays about 17 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.
🛒Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $9 in Tongi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $108 per month, with Tongi 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 Tongi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Tongi?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $328 in Tongi, so Tongi is about 85% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Tongi?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 17 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 Tongi?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $87 in Tongi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 154% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Tongi?
All in, you’ll spend $2,206 per month in Lisbon versus $328 in Tongi – Tongi is about 85% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $328 in Tongi versus $2,206 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Tongi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tongi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Tongi?
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.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Tongi?
It comes down to priorities – Tongi wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.