Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tuam Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tuam

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $2,548 in Tuam.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $3,625 in Tuam.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $4,702 in Tuam.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 12% less than in Tuam, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 67% above, Tuam 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$20.47 €17.46

-23.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$63.5 €54.1

-0.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$14.63 €12.48

-29.46%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$4.25 €3.62

-33.88%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$2.47 €2.10

-5.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.91 €1.63

-20.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$7.06 €6.02

-52.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$6.28 €5.36

-37.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.60 €1.36

-32.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.05 €1.75

-14.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.01 €1.71

-12.94%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$4.37 €3.73

-29.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$10.54 €8.99

26.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$10.92 €9.32

-28.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$11.95 €10.19

34.31%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$3.00 €2.56

-20.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$2.08 €1.77

-17.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.91 €2.48

-32.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$3.61 €3.08

-29.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.22 €1.89

-19.37%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.52 €1.30

29.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.30 €1.11

50.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$1.94 €1.65

-56.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$18.42 €15.72

-62.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$13.81 €11.78

-57.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$3.46 €2.95

-60.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$3.78 €3.23

-22.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$2.49 €2.12

-8.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$98.2 €83.7

-52.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$5.32 €4.54

-22.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.84 €1.57

-55.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$34.88 €29.75

-45.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$2.08 €1.77

0.48%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$42.2K €36.0K

-16.85%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$38.3K €32.7K

3.63%

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

$150 €128

$214 €182

-30.00%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$21.58 €18.41

-5.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$50.7 €43.22

-22.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$51.4 €43.86

-3.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$13.82 €11.79

-33.43%

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

$624 €533

$1,063 €907

-41.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$7,771 €6,628

104.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$89.6 €76.4

14.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$39.27 €33.50

4.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$99.9 €85.2

-4.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$105 €89.2

15.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$1,448 €1,236

14.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$1,231 €1,050

0.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$2,371 €2,022

28.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$1,968 €1,678

4.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.53

-15.89%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Tuam: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $1,448 in Tuam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $63 in Tuam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $332 per month, with Lisbon 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 Tuam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tuam differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $2,548 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,365 in Lisbon and $3,822 in Tuam to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $1,448 in Tuam. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $1,063 in Tuam. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Tuam. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Tuam 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 14% less than in Tuam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.