For one person, living is cheaper in Sfax: $626 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,200 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 Sfax and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $626 in Sfax versus $2,223 in Lisbon.
Sfax $626
Lisbon $2,223
Estimated couple costs with rent: $983 in Sfax versus $3,271 in Lisbon.
Sfax $983
Lisbon $3,271
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,341 in Sfax versus $4,319 in Lisbon.
Sfax $1,341
Lisbon $4,319
🌍
Living in Sfax costs roughly 72% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Sfax is 54% below, Lisbon is 65% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Sfax
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.39TND 10.14
$16.50€14.67
-79.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$20.15TND 60.3
$61.3€54.5
-67.10%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$4.98TND 14.92
$11.27€10.03
-55.81%
Cappuccino
$0.70TND 2.08
$3.06€2.72
-77.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63TND 1.89
$2.26€2.01
-72.12%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.25TND 0.74
$1.73€1.54
-85.55%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.62TND 4.85
$3.39€3.02
-52.21%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95TND 5.83
$3.40€3.02
-42.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Sfax
Lisbon
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.46TND 1.38
$1.12€1.00
-58.93%
White Bread(500g)
$0.22TND 0.66
$1.86€1.65
-88.17%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.36TND 4.08
$1.53€1.36
-11.11%
Eggs
$1.55TND 4.63
$3.96€3.53
-60.86%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.52TND 37.51
$12.76€11.35
-1.88%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.52TND 16.53
$7.90€7.02
-30.13%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$13.83TND 41.41
$16.97€15.09
-18.50%
Apples(1kg)
$1.81TND 5.43
$2.27€2.02
-20.26%
Banana(1kg)
$3.14TND 9.41
$1.75€1.55
79.43%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.05TND 3.14
$1.85€1.64
-43.24%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.68TND 2.04
$2.57€2.28
-73.54%
Potato(1kg)
$0.81TND 2.42
$1.86€1.65
-56.45%
Onion(1kg)
$0.83TND 2.47
$2.02€1.80
-58.91%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.58TND 1.74
$1.44€1.28
-59.72%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.35TND 1.04
$0.82€0.73
-57.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.73TND 11.17
$6.56€5.83
-43.14%
Wine(Bottle)
$6.88TND 20.60
$5.62€5.00
22.42%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.13TND 3.39
$1.28€1.14
-11.72%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09TND 3.26
$2.07€1.84
-47.34%
🚌 Getting Around
Sfax
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.18TND 0.53
$2.35€2.09
-92.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$9.97TND 29.87
$44.18€39.30
-77.43%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.33TND 0.99
$3.99€3.55
-91.73%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.31TND 0.94
$1.09€0.97
-71.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$7.21TND 21.59
$16.64€14.81
-56.67%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$0.80TND 2.39
$2.28€2.03
-64.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.1KTND 108.0K
$33.7K€30.0K
7.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.4KTND 103.1K
$39.3K€35.0K
-12.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sfax
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$44.55TND 133
$167€149
-73.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$9.71TND 29.09
$18.80€16.72
-48.35%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$14.70TND 44.02
$33.09€29.43
-55.58%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Sfax
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$27.24TND 81.6
$46.01€40.93
-40.80%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.12TND 21.32
$19.19€17.07
-62.90%
Cinema Ticket
$4.65TND 13.91
$9.84€8.75
-52.74%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Sfax
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$98.6TND 295
$677€602
-85.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$2,480TND 7,427
$16.9K€15.1K
-85.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Sfax
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.87TND 125
$101€90.1
-58.64%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.55TND 106
$45.76€40.70
-22.31%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$112TND 337
$100.0€88.9
12.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$67.2TND 201
$123€109
-45.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Sfax
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$195TND 584
$1,614€1,436
-87.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$133TND 399
$1,197€1,065
-88.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$335TND 1,002
$2,862€2,545
-88.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$214TND 641
$1,990€1,770
-89.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$1,014TND 3,037
$7,577€6,740
-86.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$720TND 2,156
$4,307€3,831
-83.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Sfax
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$333TND 996
$1,588€1,412
-79.05%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
13.6
3.85
253.25%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Sfax: October 11, 2026
Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 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.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sfax
$193 30.8%
Lisbon
$269 12.1% ↑ 39.8%$77
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sfax
$133 21.3%
Lisbon
$1.2K 53.9% ↑ 799%$1.1K
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sfax
$116 18.5%
Lisbon
$166 7.5% ↑ 43.9%$51
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sfax
$69 11%
Lisbon
$219 9.9% ↑ 218%$150
🍽Eating Out
Sfax
$66 10.5%
Lisbon
$242 10.9% ↑ 268%$176
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sfax
$37 5.8%
Lisbon
$66 3% ↑ 79.8%$29
🚌Getting Around
Sfax
$13 2%
Lisbon
$63 2.8% ↑ 400%$50
🛒Groceries & Markets
Sfax
$456 34%
Lisbon
$642 14.9% ↑ 40.6%$185
🏠Accommodation & Living
Sfax
$214 16%
Lisbon
$2K 46.1% ↑ 830%$1.8K
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Sfax
$257 19.2%
Lisbon
$370 8.6% ↑ 43.9%$113
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Sfax
$79 5.9%
Lisbon
$238 5.5% ↑ 203%$159
🍽Eating Out
Sfax
$229 17.1%
Lisbon
$798 18.5% ↑ 248%$568
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Sfax
$80 6%
Lisbon
$151 3.5% ↑ 87.8%$70
🚌Getting Around
Sfax
$26 1.9%
Lisbon
$131 3% ↑ 412%$105
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $195 in Sfax and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays 377% 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: $20.00 in Sfax vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $193 vs $269 per month, with Sfax 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
Sfax vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Sfax and in Lisbon?
Sfax and Lisbon differ by about 255% in total monthly costs ($626 vs $2,223 including rent). Sfax is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 377% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Sfax and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $195 in Sfax versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Sfax and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $98.6 in Sfax versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $626 in Sfax versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sfax but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sfax the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Sfax and Lisbon?
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 Sfax or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Sfax and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Sfax or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Sfax gentler on the wallet – expenses run 255% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.