For one person, living is cheaper in Tsu: $1,265 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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 Tsu and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,265 in Tsu versus $2,202 in Lisbon.
Tsu $1,265
Lisbon $2,202
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,972 in Tsu versus $3,274 in Lisbon.
Tsu $1,972
Lisbon $3,274
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,679 in Tsu versus $4,346 in Lisbon.
Tsu $2,679
Lisbon $4,346
🌍
Living in Tsu costs roughly 43% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Tsu is 7% below, Lisbon is 62% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Tsu
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.43¥1,016
$17.04€15.15
-62.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$17.78¥2,809
$62.3€55.4
-71.46%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$3.87¥612
$11.02€9.80
-64.88%
Cappuccino
$2.38¥376
$3.12€2.78
-23.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.18¥186
$2.27€2.02
-48.02%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.58¥91.9
$1.74€1.55
-66.67%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.08¥328
$3.42€3.04
-39.18%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.24¥354
$3.74€3.33
-40.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tsu
Lisbon
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.53¥242
$1.17€1.04
30.77%
White Bread(500g)
$1.26¥200
$1.86€1.66
-32.26%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$5.31¥839
$1.54€1.37
244.81%
Eggs
$2.06¥326
$4.06€3.61
-49.26%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.86¥2,033
$12.91€11.49
-0.39%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$9.59¥1,515
$7.90€7.03
21.39%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$32.36¥5,112
$17.64€15.69
83.45%
Apples(1kg)
$3.67¥580
$2.26€2.01
62.39%
Banana(1kg)
$2.27¥359
$1.75€1.55
29.71%
Oranges(1kg)
$2.81¥443
$1.89€1.68
48.68%
Tomato(1kg)
$4.19¥661
$2.56€2.27
63.67%
Potato(1kg)
$3.77¥595
$1.85€1.64
103.78%
Onion(1kg)
$3.54¥559
$1.97€1.75
79.70%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.28¥202
$1.45€1.29
-11.72%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.98¥155
$0.77€0.69
27.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.42¥541
$6.71€5.97
-49.03%
Wine(Bottle)
$8.07¥1,276
$5.67€5.04
42.33%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$2.03¥321
$1.37€1.22
48.18%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52¥240
$2.11€1.88
-27.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Tsu
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$1.46¥231
$2.32€2.07
-37.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$54.4¥8,591
$44.43€39.52
22.39%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.09¥488
$3.95€3.51
-21.77%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$3.14¥496
$1.05€0.93
199.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$26.05¥4,116
$17.15€15.26
51.90%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.01¥160
$2.19€1.95
-53.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.7K¥3.0M
$33.8K€30.0K
-44.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$16.8K¥2.7M
$38.3K€34.0K
-56.13%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tsu
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$147¥23.2K
$164€146
-10.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.94¥3,783
$18.48€16.43
29.55%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.50¥6,714
$32.96€29.32
28.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tsu
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$53.1¥8,384
$45.87€40.80
15.70%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.54¥1,982
$18.68€16.61
-32.87%
Cinema Ticket
$8.37¥1,322
$9.75€8.67
-14.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tsu
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$317¥50.1K
$684€608
-53.65%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$6,175¥975.5K
$17.6K€15.7K
-64.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tsu
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.2¥7,928
$104€92.3
-51.63%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$25.04¥3,956
$46.20€41.09
-45.80%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$45.94¥7,258
$99.7€88.7
-53.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$66.3¥10.5K
$125€111
-46.80%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tsu
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$538¥85.0K
$1,589€1,414
-66.17%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$335¥53.0K
$1,169€1,040
-71.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,090¥172.2K
$2,851€2,536
-61.76%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$746¥117.8K
$1,993€1,773
-62.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$4,281¥676.3K
$7,793€6,932
-45.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$1,752¥276.8K
$4,418€3,930
-60.35%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tsu
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,510¥238.6K
$1,600€1,423
-5.61%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
1.9
3.85
-50.65%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Tsu: October 19, 2026
Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 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
Tsu
$370 29.2%
Lisbon
$273 12.4% ↓ 26.2%$97
🏠Accommodation & Living
Tsu
$335 26.5%
Lisbon
$1.2K 53.1% ↑ 249%$834
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tsu
$214 16.9%
Lisbon
$215 9.8% ↑ 0.8%$1.7
🍽Eating Out
Tsu
$114 9%
Lisbon
$247 11.2% ↑ 118%$134
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Tsu
$84 6.7%
Lisbon
$168 7.7% ↑ 99.7%$84
🚌Getting Around
Tsu
$79 6.2%
Lisbon
$63 2.9% ↓ 20.3%$16
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Tsu
$70 5.5%
Lisbon
$65 3% ↓ 6.4%$4.4
🛒Groceries & Markets
Tsu
$878 32.8%
Lisbon
$651 15% ↓ 25.9%$228
🏠Accommodation & Living
Tsu
$746 27.8%
Lisbon
$2K 45.9% ↑ 167%$1.2K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tsu
$238 8.9%
Lisbon
$234 5.4% ↓ 1.6%$3.8
🍽Eating Out
Tsu
$317 11.8%
Lisbon
$815 18.7% ↑ 157%$497
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Tsu
$188 7%
Lisbon
$374 8.6% ↑ 99.7%$187
🚌Getting Around
Tsu
$161 6%
Lisbon
$130 3% ↓ 18.9%$30
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Tsu
$152 5.7%
Lisbon
$149 3.4% ↓ 1.8%$2.7
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $538 in Tsu and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays 6% 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: $18.00 in Tsu vs $62.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $370 vs $273, 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
Tsu vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Tsu and in Lisbon?
Tsu and Lisbon differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($1,265 vs $2,202 including rent). Tsu 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 6% 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 Tsu and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $538 in Tsu versus $1,589 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 Tsu and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $317 in Tsu versus $684 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?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $1,265 in Tsu versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tsu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tsu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Tsu 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 Tsu or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Tsu 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: Tsu or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Tsu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.