Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tortola and Lisbon

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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Tortola

🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands

$2,423

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tortola and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Tortola and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

Tortola $2,423
Lisbon $2,202

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

Tortola $4,123
Lisbon $3,274

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

Tortola $5,823
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Tortola is roughly 10% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.64 $21.64

$17.04 €15.15

27.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.4 $84.4

$62.3 €55.4

35.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.77 $14.77

$11.02 €9.80

34.03%

Cappuccino

$7.82 $7.82

$3.12 €2.78

150.64%

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

$1.88 $1.88

$2.27 €2.02

-17.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.74 €1.55

-21.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.42 €3.04

18.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 $4.95

$3.74 €3.33

32.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.17 €1.04

162.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.79 $4.79

$1.86 €1.66

157.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$1.54 €1.37

338.31%

Eggs

$7.29 $7.29

$4.06 €3.61

79.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 $12.82

$12.91 €11.49

-0.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.81 $12.81

$7.90 €7.03

62.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 $20.11

$17.64 €15.69

14.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.26 €2.01

-10.62%

Banana (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.75 €1.55

122.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.89 €1.68

3.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.36 $7.36

$2.56 €2.27

187.50%

Potato (1kg)

$5.97 $5.97

$1.85 €1.64

222.70%

Onion (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$1.97 €1.75

149.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$11.97 $11.97

$1.45 €1.29

725.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.07 $5.07

$6.71 €5.97

-24.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 $11.14

$5.67 €5.04

96.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.06 $4.06

$1.37 €1.22

196.35%

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)

$101 $101

$164 €146

-38.21%

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

$101 $101

$18.48 €16.43

444.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.1 $99.1

$32.96 €29.32

200.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$19.99 $19.99

$9.75 €8.67

105.03%

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)

$1,406 $1,406

$1,589 €1,414

-11.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 $1,233

$1,169 €1,040

5.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,293 $3,293

$2,851 €2,536

15.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,061 $3,061

$1,993 €1,773

53.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$4,418 €3,930

145.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,598 $1,598

$1,600 €1,423

-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 Tortola: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tortola

–

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Groceries & Markets

Tortola

–

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Eating Out

Tortola

–

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tortola

–

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Clothing & Footwear

Tortola

–

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Sport & Entertainment

Tortola

–

Lisbon

$65 3%

Getting Around

Tortola

–

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,406 in Tortola and $1,589 in Lisbon. 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: $84.0 in Tortola vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $494 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇻🇬 Tortola

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

06:49 6:49 AM

11:49 11:49 AM

5 h ahead of Tortola

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,449

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Tortola Lisbon 5,770 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Tortola
Lisbon

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.

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Tortola vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

On paper, salaries run 0% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,406 in Tortola versus $1,589 in Lisbon. 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 $2,423 per month in Tortola versus $2,202 in Lisbon – 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, Tortola 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.

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.