Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tongi Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tongi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $338 in Tongi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $539 in Tongi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $740 in Tongi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 579% more expensive than in Tongi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Tongi is 75% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$2.07 ৳253

749.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$9.20 ৳1,129

583.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$4.87 ৳598

137.78%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.34 ৳287

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.46 ৳547

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.90 ৳233

63.16%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.34 ৳41.14

632.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.16 ৳19.53

987.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$0.76 ৳93.0

51.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.53 ৳65.1

260.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.64 ৳78.6

134.38%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.12 ৳138

255.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$7.76 ৳953

71.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$2.09 ৳256

283.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$6.07 ৳744

197.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.51 ৳309

-6.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$0.75 ৳91.6

133.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.29 ৳281

-19.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$0.71 ৳87.5

259.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.21 ৳25.16

776.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.52 ৳63.7

303.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.44 ৳53.9

238.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.28 ৳33.88

192.86%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$7.85 ৳963

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.70 ৳331

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 ৳603

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$2.90 ৳356

144.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.46 ৳56.4

413.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.80 ৳98.6

410.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.42 ৳51.1

171.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$2.89 ৳355

491.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.02 ৳126

126.47%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$29.7K ৳3.6M

14.95%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$32.7K ৳4.0M

26.53%

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

$169 €147

$30.11 ৳3,695

459.78%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$3.90 ৳479

395.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$8.06 ৳989

315.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$13.55 ৳1,663

260.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$3.75 ৳461

155.20%

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

$696 €606

$26.00 ৳3,190

2576.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$1,570 ৳192.7K

1005.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$21.63 ৳2,654

386.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$24.41 ৳2,995

95.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$32.94 ৳4,042

205.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$33.93 ৳4,164

266.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$87.7 ৳10.8K

1794.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$51.4 ৳6,302

2326.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$167 ৳20.5K

1678.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$114 ৳14.0K

1701.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$645 ৳79.1K

1115.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$102 ৳12.5K

1501.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

10.48

-63.93%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Tongi: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $87.7 in Tongi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 1502% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $9.00 in Tongi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $108 per month, with Tongi 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 Tongi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tongi differ by about 579% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $338 including rent). Tongi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 1502% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $87.7 in Tongi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 156% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $338 in Tongi – a 579% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $338 in Tongi versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 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.

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 Tongi 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 Tongi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 579% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.