---
title: "Living in Lisbon as a digital nomad: cost, safety, visa, internet"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/lisbon
description: "Sunny Atlantic capital with Europe's biggest nomad scene"
dataset: 2026.09.4 (2026-09-26)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon scores 71.5/100 for digital nomads under balanced weights, ranking 10 of 309 cities. Expect about $2,499 per month, a nomad visa (Autorização de Residência para Atividade Profissional Prestada de Forma Remota (D8)), and a measured median download speed of 40.4 Mbps.

Lisbon pairs mild weather and ocean light with a mature remote-work ecosystem: dozens of coworking spaces, English-friendly cafés and a dedicated D8 residence permit. Rents have climbed fast since 2019, so it is no longer a bargain, but flights, food and transit stay affordable.

Known for: Nomad visa (D8), Coworking density, Surf beaches nearby, Pastéis and tiled streets.

## Scores (balanced weights, 0–100)

| Factor | Score |
| --- | --- |
| Overall | 71.5 |
| Cost of living | 27 |
| Safety | 83 |
| Healthcare | 84 |
| Internet | 66 |
| Visa ease | 84 |
| Getting there & around | 52 |
| Climate | 67 |
| Air quality | 94 |
| Quality of life | 86 |

## The numbers behind the scores

| Metric | Value | Level | As of | Source |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,499 | city | 2026-07 | [^2] |
| Central 1-bedroom rent | $1,638 | city | 2026-07 | [^2] |
| Outskirts 1-bedroom rent (basis of the monthly total) | $1,147 | city | 2026-07 | [^2] |
| Homicide rate (per 100k) | 0.8 | country | 2021 | [^4] |
| Political stability (0–100) | 75.1 | country | 2024 | [^5] |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 83 | country | 2023 | [^6] |
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.2 | country | 2021 | [^7] |
| Median download (Mbps) | 40.4 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Median upload (Mbps) | 18.4 | city | 2024 | [^8] |
| Nomad visa | Autorização de Residência para Atividade Profissional Prestada de Forma Remota (D8) (min $4,218/mo) | country | 2026-07 | [^9] |
| Visa-free days US / EU / UK | 90 days / unlimited / 90 days | editorial | 2026-02 | [^10] |
| Non-stop destinations (LIS) | 153 | city | 2026-09 | [^11] |
| Walkability / transit (1–5) | 4 / 4 | editorial | 2026-09 | [^12] |
| Comfortable months | 8 of 12 | city | 2001–2020 | [^13] |
| Annual mean PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 7.6 | city | 2024 | [^14] |
| Human Development Index | 0.89 | country | 2023 | [^15] |
| English proficiency band | very-high | country | 2024 | [^16] |

## Climate (2001–2020 normals)

| Month | Mean °C | Rain mm | Humidity % | Comfortable |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jan | 12.9 | 65 | 81 | no |
| Feb | 12.8 | 51 | 80 | no |
| Mar | 13.8 | 60 | 80 | no |
| Apr | 15 | 54 | 80 | yes |
| May | 16.9 | 31 | 79 | yes |
| Jun | 18.9 | 11 | 80 | yes |
| Jul | 19.9 | 3 | 81 | yes |
| Aug | 20.5 | 6 | 81 | yes |
| Sep | 20 | 25 | 81 | yes |
| Oct | 18.6 | 79 | 81 | yes |
| Nov | 15.5 | 92 | 80 | yes |
| Dec | 13.5 | 64 | 82 | no |

## Airports and nonstop flights

| Airport | IATA | Nonstop destinations | International | From US airports |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Lisbon Airport | LIS | 153 | 99 | 9 |

Unique destinations across all airports: 153, of which 99 international (Wikipedia, 2026-09).

## Similar cities

- [Málaga](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/malaga) (71.8) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/lisbon-vs-malaga)
- [Porto](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/porto) (70.2) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/lisbon-vs-porto)
- [Rome](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/rome) (68.7) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/lisbon-vs-rome)
- [Bilbao](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/bilbao) (71) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/bilbao-vs-lisbon)
- [Valencia](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/valencia) (70.1) — [compare](https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/lisbon-vs-valencia)

## FAQ

### How much does it cost to live in Lisbon as a digital nomad?

A single person typically spends about $2,499 per month in Lisbon, renting a one-bedroom outside the centre (about $1,147). A central one-bedroom costs about $1,638, which brings the total to roughly $2,990. That is a 27/100 cost score, where 100 is the cheapest city in the dataset.

### Is Lisbon safe for digital nomads?

Lisbon scores 83/100 on safety. Portugal records 0.8 homicides per 100,000 people per year (WHO, 2021) and a political-stability score of 75.1/100 (World Bank WGI). Both figures are national, so neighbourhood-level risk can differ.

### Does Portugal have a digital nomad visa?

Yes. Portugal offers the Autorização de Residência para Atividade Profissional Prestada de Forma Remota (D8) with a minimum income of about $4,218 per month. Verify current rules with the issuing authority before applying.

### How fast is the internet in Lisbon?

Measured median download speed in Lisbon was 40.4 Mbps (upload 18.4 Mbps) across 156,308 M-Lab tests in 2024. Measured speeds run below advertised plan speeds everywhere, so compare cities rather than reading the number as a plan.

### Which airports serve Lisbon and how many nonstop flights are there?

Lisbon is served by Lisbon Airport (LIS) with 153 nonstop destinations, of which 99 are international. 9 US airports have a nonstop link. Source: Wikipedia, 2026-09.

### When is the best time of year to be in Lisbon?

The most comfortable months are Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov. Mean temperatures range from 55°F (13°C) in Feb to 69°F (21°C) in Aug (NASA POWER 2001–2020 climatology).

### Lisbon or Málaga: which is better for digital nomads?

Málaga is the city with the closest factor profile to Lisbon in this dataset. Which one wins depends on your weights; the comparison page puts every factor side by side with the numbers behind them.

## Sources

[^1]: City population (latest census or official estimate), Wikipedia (citing national statistics offices). CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^2]: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows), WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^3]: 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level), WhereNext. CC BY 4.0. https://getwherenext.com/data/cost-of-living-2026 (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^4]: Estimates of rates of homicides per 100 000 population, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/estimates-of-rates-of-homicides-per-100-000-population (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^5]: Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100), World Bank. CC BY 4.0. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/worldwide-governance-indicators (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^6]: UHC service coverage index, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/uhc-index-of-service-coverage (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^7]: Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes, World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/life-expectancy-at-birth-(years) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^8]: M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024), Measurement Lab. CC0 1.0. https://statistics.measurementlab.net/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^9]: Digital Nomad Visas 2026, WhereToEmigrate. CC BY 4.0. https://github.com/0brien18/global-emigration-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^10]: Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations), Ilya Ilyankou (compiled from passportindex.org). MIT. https://github.com/ilyankou/passport-index-dataset (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^11]: Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables), Wikipedia contributors; countries via Wikidata. CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/ (retrieved 2026-09-24)
[^12]: Walkability and transit ratings (editorial), Navoy. CC BY 4.0. https://nostos.navoy.io/methodology (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^13]: NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means), NASA Langley Research Center. Public domain (US Government). https://power.larc.nasa.gov/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^14]: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8), World Health Organization. CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO data policy). https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/who-ambient-air-quality-database-(update-jun-2026) (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^15]: Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023), United Nations Development Programme. CC BY 3.0 IGO. https://hdr.undp.org/data-center/documentation-and-downloads (retrieved 2026-09-22)
[^16]: EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band), EF Education First. Proprietary; band cited as a fact with attribution. https://www.ef.com/epi/ (retrieved 2026-09-22)

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