Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tuam and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,580 in Tuam, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tuam
🇮🇪 Ireland
$2,580
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tuam 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 Tuam and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,580 in Tuam versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Tuam $2,580
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,675 in Tuam versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Tuam $3,675
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,770 in Tuam versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Tuam $4,770
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Tuam is roughly 17% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tuam 90% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tuam
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.76 €17.57
$17.04 €15.15
15.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.5 €54.7
$62.3 €55.4
-1.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.32 €12.74
$11.02 €9.80
29.95%
Cappuccino
$4.47 €3.98
$3.12 €2.78
43.27%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.92 €2.60
$2.27 €2.02
28.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 €1.65
$1.74 €1.55
6.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.03 €6.25
$3.42 €3.04
105.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.59 €5.86
$3.74 €3.33
76.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tuam
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 €1.42
$1.17 €1.04
35.90%
White Bread (500g)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.86 €1.66
22.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 €1.71
$1.54 €1.37
24.68%
Eggs
$4.42 €3.93
$4.06 €3.61
8.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.28 €9.14
$12.91 €11.49
-20.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.75 €11.34
$7.90 €7.03
61.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.27 €11.81
$17.64 €15.69
-24.77%
Apples (1kg)
$3.05 €2.71
$2.26 €2.01
34.96%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 €2.04
$1.75 €1.55
30.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.09 €2.75
$1.89 €1.68
63.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.84 €4.30
$2.56 €2.27
89.06%
Potato (1kg)
$1.96 €1.74
$1.85 €1.64
5.95%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 €1.30
$1.97 €1.75
-25.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.45 €1.29
-5.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$0.77 €0.69
168.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.29 €18.05
$6.71 €5.97
202.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.56 €12.06
$5.67 €5.04
139.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.47 €3.09
$1.37 €1.22
153.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 €3.08
$2.11 €1.88
63.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Tuam
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.57 €2.29
$2.32 €2.07
10.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.43 €39.52
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.09 €4.53
$3.95 €3.51
28.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.55 €1.38
$1.05 €0.93
47.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$33.37 €29.68
$17.15 €15.26
94.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.02 €1.80
$2.19 €1.95
-7.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$39.0K €34.7K
$33.8K €30.0K
15.32%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.1K €33.9K
$38.3K €34.0K
-0.42%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tuam
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$244 €217
$164 €146
49.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.40 €19.04
$18.48 €16.43
15.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.3 €44.72
$32.96 €29.32
52.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tuam
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$58.9 €52.4
$45.87 €40.80
28.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.68 €16.61
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.18 €11.72
$9.75 €8.67
35.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tuam
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,009 €897
$684 €608
47.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,119 €4,553
$17.6K €15.7K
-70.96%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tuam
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.7 €85.1
$104 €92.3
-7.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.02 €37.38
$46.20 €41.09
-9.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €95.7
$99.7 €88.7
7.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114 €101
$125 €111
-8.98%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tuam
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,609 €1,431
$1,589 €1,414
1.23%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,318 €1,172
$1,169 €1,040
12.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,576 €2,291
$2,851 €2,536
-9.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,092 €1,860
$1,993 €1,773
4.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,793 €6,932
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,293 €2,929
$4,418 €3,930
-25.46%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tuam
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,600 €1,423
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.14
3.85
7.53%

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

Last update for Tuam: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tuam
$1.3K
Lisbon
$1.2K 11.3% $149
Groceries & Markets
Tuam
$355
Lisbon
$273 23% $81
Eating Out
Tuam
$322
Lisbon
$247 23.2% $75
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tuam
$316
Lisbon
$215 31.8% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Tuam
$161
Lisbon
$168 4.3% $7
Sport & Entertainment
Tuam
$85
Lisbon
$65 23.3% $20
Getting Around
Tuam
$23 *
Lisbon
$63 172% $40

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,609 in Tuam and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Tuam vs $62.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $355 vs $273, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇮🇪 Tuam
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
08:23 8:23 AM
08:23 8:23 AM
Same time as Tuam
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
9,647
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tuam Lisbon 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tuam
  • 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.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Tuam vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Tuam and in Lisbon?
Tuam and Lisbon differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($2,580 vs $2,202 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Tuam compared to Lisbon?
You'd need roughly $3,870 in Tuam and $3,302 in Lisbon 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Tuam and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,609 in Tuam versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Tuam. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Tuam or Lisbon?
All in, you'll spend $2,580 per month in Tuam versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,580 in Tuam, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Tuam. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Tuam 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 Tuam or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Tuam 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: Tuam or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Tuam. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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