---
title: "Lisbon vs Tarifa for digital nomads"
url: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/lisbon-vs-tarifa
description: "Under balanced weights Lisbon edges it, 72 to 70, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Lisbon is stronger on getting there & around; Tarifa on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you."
dataset: 2026.11.2 (2026-11-09)
license: CC BY 4.0
---

# Lisbon vs Tarifa for digital nomads

Under balanced weights Lisbon edges it, 72 to 70, winning 4 of the 9 factors. Lisbon is stronger on getting there & around; Tarifa on nothing outright. Change the weights in the ranker to see which one wins for you.

## Where they differ

- **Getting there & around.** Lisbon leads on getting there & around, 52 to 38, against Tarifa. Non-stop airport destinations: 154 vs 163.
- **Safety.** Lisbon leads on safety, 83 to 76, against Tarifa. Homicides per 100,000: 0.71 vs 0.73.
- **Quality of life.** Lisbon leads on quality of life, 88 to 81, against Tarifa.

Where they are close: within five points on visa ease, healthcare, climate.

**Pick Lisbon if you want** the safer country figures; more flights and easier getting around.

**Pick Tarifa if you want** to spend about $256 less a month; faster internet (48.7 Mbps measured).

## Factor scores (0–100, balanced weights)

| Metric | Lisbon | Tarifa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cost of living | 30 | 36 | Tarifa |
| Safety | 83 | 76 | Lisbon |
| Healthcare | 87 | 90 | Tarifa |
| Internet | 71 | 77 | Tarifa |
| Visa ease | 75 | 80 | Tarifa |
| Getting there & around | 52 | 38 | Lisbon |
| Climate | 67 | 67 | tie |
| Air quality | 94 | 88 | Lisbon |
| Quality of life | 88 | 81 | Lisbon |

## Cost

| Metric | Lisbon | Tarifa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly cost, one person | $2,456 | $2,200 | Tarifa |
| Central one-bedroom rent | $1,610 | no data | — |

## Safety and health (country-level)

| Metric | Lisbon | Tarifa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Homicides per 100k | 0.71 | 0.73 | Lisbon |
| Political stability (0–100) | 77.9 | 68.7 | Lisbon |
| UHC service coverage (0–100) | 83 | 84 | Tarifa |
| Life expectancy | 81.9 yrs | 83.3 yrs | Tarifa |

## Internet (M-Lab measured medians)

| Metric | Lisbon | Tarifa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Download | 40.4 Mbps | 48.7 Mbps | Tarifa |
| Upload | 18.4 Mbps | 45.9 Mbps | Tarifa |

## Visa

| Metric | Lisbon | Tarifa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Nomad visa | Digital nomad residence visa (D8) | International teleworking visa (digital nomad visa) | tie |
| Minimum income for the visa | $4,131/mo | $2,741/mo | Tarifa |
| Entry, US passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |
| Entry, EU passport | unlimited | unlimited | tie |
| Entry, UK passport | 90 days | 90 days | tie |

## Getting there and around

| Metric | Lisbon | Tarifa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Non-stop airport destinations | 154 | 163 | Tarifa |
| Walkability (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 4 | tie |
| Transit (1–5, editorial) | 4 | 1 | Lisbon |

## Climate and air

| Metric | Lisbon | Tarifa | Better |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Comfortable months per year | 8 | 8 | tie |
| Annual mean PM2.5 | 7.6 µg/m³ | 10.2 µg/m³ | Lisbon |

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Lisbon or Tarifa?

Tarifa is cheaper: about $2,200 per month versus $2,456 for one person.

### Is Lisbon or Tarifa safer?

Lisbon scores higher on safety (83 vs 76), based on national homicide rates and World Bank political-stability scores.

### Where is the internet faster, Lisbon or Tarifa?

Tarifa: a measured median of 48.7 Mbps versus 40.4 Mbps (M-Lab, 2024).

City pages: [Lisbon](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/lisbon) · [Tarifa](https://nostos.navoy.io/cities/tarifa). Sources: Cost of Living Global 2026 (city rows); 2026 Cost of Living Index (country level); Worldwide Governance Indicators — Political Stability and Absence of Violence (score 0–100); Victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population (national data, latest year); UHC service coverage index; Life expectancy at birth (years), both sexes; M-Lab NDT statistics (city aggregates, 2024); Airport destinations (Wikipedia airline and destination tables); NASA POWER climatology (2001–2020 monthly means); WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, June 2026 update (V8); SatPM2.5 satellite-derived annual PM2.5 (V6.GL.02.04); Human Development Index (HDR 2025, HDI 2023); EF English Proficiency Index 2024 (band); Walkability and transit ratings (editorial); Passport Index dataset (visa requirements, 199 passports × 199 destinations); OpenStreetMap restaurants (Overpass API); Nostos long-stay visa guides; Starlink availability map.

HTML page: https://nostos.navoy.io/compare/lisbon-vs-tarifa