Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tortola

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,423 in Tortola, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Tortola

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,423

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Tortola

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 Tortola actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,423 in Tortola.

Lisbon $2,202
Tortola $2,423

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $4,123 in Tortola.

Lisbon $3,274
Tortola $4,123

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $5,823 in Tortola.

Lisbon $4,346
Tortola $5,823

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 9% less than in Tortola, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Tortola 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$21.64 $21.64

-21.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$84.4 $84.4

-26.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$14.77 $14.77

-25.39%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$7.82 $7.82

-60.10%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$1.88 $1.88

20.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.37 $1.37

27.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$4.04 $4.04

-15.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$4.95 $4.95

-24.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$3.07 $3.07

-61.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$4.79 $4.79

-61.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$6.75 $6.75

-77.19%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$7.29 $7.29

-44.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$12.82 $12.82

0.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$12.81 $12.81

-38.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$20.11 $20.11

-12.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.02 $2.02

11.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$3.90 $3.90

-55.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.96 $1.96

-3.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$7.36 $7.36

-65.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$5.97 $5.97

-69.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$4.92 $4.92

-59.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$11.97 $11.97

-87.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$5.07 $5.07

32.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$11.14 $11.14

-49.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$4.06 $4.06

-66.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

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

$33.8K €30.0K

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

$38.3K €34.0K

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

$164 €146

$101 $101

61.84%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$101 $101

-81.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$99.1 $99.1

-66.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$19.99 $19.99

-51.23%

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

$684 €608

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$1,406 $1,406

13.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,233 $1,233

-5.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$3,293 $3,293

-13.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$3,061 $3,061

-34.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$10.9K $10.9K

-59.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$1,598 $1,598

0.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Tortola: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Tortola

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Tortola

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Tortola

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Tortola

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Tortola

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Tortola

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Tortola

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,406 in Tortola. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $84.0 in Tortola for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $494 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇻🇬 Tortola

🕒 Local time

13:32 1:32 PM

08:32 8:32 AM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

8,449

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Tortola 5,770 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

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Lisbon vs Tortola: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tortola differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $2,423 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 0% 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: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,406 in Tortola. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $84.0 in Tortola. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $2,423 in Tortola – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,423 in Tortola, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Tortola. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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 Tortola 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Tortola. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.