Cost of Living Comparison Between Belfast and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Belfast and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,318 in Belfast versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,367 in Belfast versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,415 in Belfast versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs are close between Belfast and Lisbon; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Belfast 69% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 £15.06

$17.30 €14.93

17.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.6 £71.7

$63.3 €54.6

52.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.00 £8.16

$11.39 €9.83

-3.42%

Cappuccino

$4.96 £3.68

$3.19 €2.75

55.49%

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

$3.08 £2.29

$2.45 €2.11

25.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 £1.56

$1.76 €1.52

19.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.94 £5.89

$3.59 €3.10

121.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.36 £6.20

$3.39 €2.93

146.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.82 £1.35

$1.24 €1.07

46.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 £1.79

$1.98 €1.71

21.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.67 £1.98

$1.52 €1.31

75.66%

Eggs

$4.62 £3.43

$4.04 €3.49

14.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 £8.25

$13.54 €11.68

-17.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.12 £8.25

$8.39 €7.24

32.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.15 £11.98

$18.25 €15.75

-11.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 £2.34

$2.29 €1.98

37.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.06 £1.53

$1.74 €1.50

18.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.36 £2.50

$1.86 €1.60

80.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.22 £3.13

$2.63 €2.27

60.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.37 £1.76

$1.92 €1.65

23.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 £1.21

$2.09 €1.81

-21.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 £1.02

$1.44 €1.24

-4.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 £1.42

$0.84 €0.73

127.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$24.67 £18.30

$6.78 €5.85

263.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.22 £9.06

$5.71 €4.93

114.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.12

$1.38 €1.19

107.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 £2.39

$2.22 €1.91

45.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.20 £2.38

$2.40 €2.07

33.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$102 £75.4

$46.78 €40.37

117.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 £3.60

$4.17 €3.60

16.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.14 €0.98

33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.52 £15.22

$17.68 €15.26

16.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.16 £1.60

$2.32 €2.01

-6.90%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$39.2K £29.1K

$35.3K €30.5K

10.90%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.4K £30.7K

$41.4K €35.8K

-0.05%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$260 £193

$170 €147

52.63%

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

$23.48 £17.42

$19.34 €16.69

21.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.29 £35.07

$33.64 €29.03

40.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.65 £36.08

$48.10 €41.50

1.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.60 £7.86

$19.90 €17.17

-46.73%

Cinema Ticket

$14.35 £10.64

$9.92 €8.56

44.66%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,458 £1,081

$717 €619

103.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.3K £13.6K

$17.5K €15.1K

4.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.6 £62.7

$105 €90.4

-19.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.57 £35.29

$46.95 €40.51

1.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 £79.9

$103 €89.2

4.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 £77.7

$124 €107

-15.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 £888

$1,677 €1,447

-28.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 £719

$1,271 €1,097

-23.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 £1,468

$2,985 €2,575

-33.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,416 £1,050

$1,992 €1,719

-28.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,153 £3,080

$7,826 €6,753

-46.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,590 £1,921

$4,658 €4,019

-44.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,264 £2,421

$1,583 €1,366

106.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.91

3.79

29.55%

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

Last update for Belfast: September 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,197 in Belfast and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belfast pays 106% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $97.0 in Belfast vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $356 vs $283 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

Belfast vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 106% higher in Belfast, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,197 in Belfast versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,458 in Belfast versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $97.0 in Belfast. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,316 in Lisbon versus $2,318 in Belfast, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Belfast. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lisbon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Belfast, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Belfast 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Belfast on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.