For one person, living is cheaper in Tsu: $1,287 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $11,100 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 Tsu actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,287 in Tsu.
Lisbon $2,210
Tsu $1,287
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,999 in Tsu.
Lisbon $3,275
Tsu $1,999
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,710 in Tsu.
Lisbon $4,341
Tsu $2,710
🌍
Living in Lisbon is roughly 72% more expensive than in Tsu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Tsu is 5% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Tsu
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65€14.85
$6.22¥982
167.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7€55.1
$17.49¥2,763
253.00%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.36€10.13
$3.91¥617
190.54%
Cappuccino
$2.97€2.65
$2.34¥369
26.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29€2.04
$1.14¥181
100.88%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74€1.55
$0.58¥90.9
200.00%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.40€3.04
$2.10¥331
61.90%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31€2.95
$2.35¥372
40.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Tsu
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.16€1.03
$1.58¥249
-26.58%
White Bread(500g)
$1.91€1.71
$1.28¥203
49.22%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.51€1.35
$5.63¥889
-73.18%
Eggs
$4.02€3.59
$2.02¥319
99.01%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.94€11.54
$12.56¥1,984
3.03%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$7.77€6.94
$9.77¥1,543
-20.47%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.76€15.85
$32.52¥5,135
-45.39%
Apples(1kg)
$2.30€2.06
$3.68¥581
-37.50%
Banana(1kg)
$1.73€1.55
$2.29¥362
-24.45%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.86€1.66
$6.41¥1,012
-70.98%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.59€2.31
$4.17¥659
-37.89%
Potato(1kg)
$1.82€1.62
$3.84¥607
-52.60%
Onion(1kg)
$1.97€1.76
$3.47¥548
-43.23%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.47€1.31
$1.30¥205
13.08%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72€0.65
$1.03¥163
-30.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58€5.87
$3.53¥558
86.40%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.61€5.00
$8.37¥1,322
-32.97%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36€1.22
$2.04¥323
-33.33%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14€1.91
$1.47¥233
45.58%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Tsu
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.33€2.08
$1.48¥234
57.43%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.68€39.86
$56.5¥8,926
-20.95%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.85€3.43
$3.23¥509
19.20%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.07€0.95
$3.22¥509
-66.77%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.46€14.69
$26.97¥4,259
-38.97%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.20€1.96
$1.04¥164
111.54%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K€30.5K
$19.0K¥3.0M
80.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K€34.5K
$16.7K¥2.6M
131.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Tsu
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$161€144
$145¥22.8K
11.48%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41€16.43
$24.21¥3,824
-23.96%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74€29.21
$43.47¥6,866
-24.68%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Tsu
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.55€39.74
$51.3¥8,107
-13.21%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10€17.04
$12.93¥2,042
47.72%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60€8.56
$8.34¥1,317
15.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Tsu
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$668€596
$322¥50.8K
107.43%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$17.6K€15.7K
$6,217¥981.8K
183.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Tsu
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102€91.0
$49.15¥7,762
107.57%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46€39.67
$25.83¥4,079
72.13%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$98.5€87.9
$46.87¥7,403
110.18%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124€110
$65.4¥10.3K
89.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Tsu
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,608€1,435
$544¥85.9K
195.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,190€1,062
$342¥53.9K
248.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,812€2,509
$1,021¥161.2K
175.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,013€1,796
$738¥116.6K
172.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,839€6,994
$4,287¥677.0K
82.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,576€4,082
$2,268¥358.3K
101.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Tsu
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,575€1,405
$1,511¥238.6K
4.25%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.85
1.9
102.63%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026
Last update for Tsu: October 24, 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%
Tsu
$342 26.5% ↓ 71.3%$849
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272 12.3%
Tsu
$388 30.1% ↑ 42.4%$116
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$243 11%
Tsu
$112 8.7% ↓ 54%$131
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212 9.6%
Tsu
$212 16.5% ↓ 0%$0.1
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166 7.5%
Tsu
$84 6.5% ↓ 49.2%$82
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64 2.9%
Tsu
$68 5.3% ↑ 6.7%$4.3
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$63 2.9%
Tsu
$82 6.4% ↑ 29.4%$19
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$2K 46.4%
Tsu
$738 27.2% ↓ 63.3%$1.3K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$649 15%
Tsu
$921 34% ↑ 41.9%$272
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$801 18.5%
Tsu
$311 11.5% ↓ 61.1%$489
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$231 5.3%
Tsu
$237 8.7% ↑ 2.5%$5.8
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$369 8.5%
Tsu
$187 6.9% ↓ 49.2%$181
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$147 3.4%
Tsu
$149 5.5% ↑ 1.6%$2.4
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$131 3%
Tsu
$167 6.1% ↑ 27.1%$35
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $544 in Tsu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays 4% 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $17 in Tsu. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $388, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.
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 Tsu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Tsu?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,287 in Tsu, so Tsu is about 42% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Tsu?
Average pay runs 4% higher in Lisbon, 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 Tsu?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $544 in Tsu. 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 Tsu?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $322 in Tsu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is feasible on a $1,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Tsu is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Tsu?
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.
Is Lisbon or Tsu safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Tsu are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Tsu?
It comes down to priorities – Tsu wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.