Cost of Living Comparison Between Birmingham and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Birmingham and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,371 per month in Birmingham vs $2,291 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,476 per month in Birmingham vs $3,322 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,581 per month in Birmingham vs $4,354 in Lisbon, rent included.

Birmingham costs about 3% more than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Birmingham and Lisbon sit above the global median – Birmingham by 77%, Lisbon by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.99 £14.87

$16.19 €14.17

23.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 £59.6

$63.3 €55.4

26.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.48 £7.05

$10.32 €9.03

-8.14%

Cappuccino

$4.48 £3.33

$2.83 €2.48

58.30%

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

$2.47 £1.84

$2.29 €2.00

7.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 £1.28

$1.58 €1.38

8.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 £5.17

$3.40 €2.98

104.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.18 £4.60

$4.03 €3.52

53.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 £1.26

$1.09 €0.95

55.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.60 £1.19

$1.75 €1.53

-8.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 £1.96

$1.76 €1.54

49.43%

Eggs

$3.59 £2.67

$3.17 €2.77

13.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.28 £7.64

$13.19 €11.54

-22.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.20 £6.10

$7.97 €6.97

2.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.25 £10.60

$15.53 €13.59

-8.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.60 £1.94

$2.37 €2.07

9.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.85 £1.37

$1.71 €1.49

8.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 £1.49

$2.01 €1.76

Tomato (1kg)

$2.73 £2.03

$2.43 €2.13

12.35%

Potato (1kg)

$1.70 £1.27

$1.76 €1.54

-3.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.10

$2.03 €1.78

-27.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 £1.04

$1.92 €1.68

-27.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 £0.98

$0.85 €0.74

54.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.36 £14.40

$6.58 €5.76

194.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.21 £9.08

$5.58 €4.88

118.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.37 £2.50

$1.33 €1.17

153.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.19 £3.12

$2.97 €2.60

41.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 £2.55

$2.28 €1.99

50.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.5 £63.6

$45.79 €40.06

86.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.76 £5.03

$4.23 €3.70

59.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.37 £1.02

$0.81 €0.71

69.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.04 £17.14

$18.44 €16.13

24.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.46

$2.08 €1.82

-5.29%

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

$38.7K £28.8K

$34.7K €30.3K

11.60%

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

$39.9K £29.6K

$39.2K €34.3K

1.79%

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

$292 £218

$148 €130

97.54%

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

$23.80 £17.70

$20.46 €17.90

16.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.90 £29.68

$39.56 €34.61

0.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.77 £24.38

$47.99 €41.99

-31.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.39 £7.73

$18.60 €16.27

-44.14%

Cinema Ticket

$18.49 £13.75

$9.22 €8.07

100.54%

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

$1,640 £1,220

$616 €539

166.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K £14.6K

$16.4K €14.4K

19.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.0 £73.6

$103 €89.9

-3.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.23 £35.87

$41.74 €36.52

15.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 £90.5

$94.8 €82.9

28.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 £106

$122 €107

16.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 £1,010

$1,633 €1,428

-16.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 £817

$1,232 €1,078

-10.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 £1,685

$3,098 €2,711

-26.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 £1,200

$2,031 €1,777

-20.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,346 £3,976

$7,831 €6,851

-31.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,194 £3,119

$4,389 €3,840

-4.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,042 £3,006

$1,607 €1,406

151.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.76

3.81

51.18%

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

Last update for Birmingham: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,358 in Birmingham versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 151% higher in Birmingham, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $80.0 in Birmingham versus $63.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $297 vs $267 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Birmingham vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,371 in Birmingham, $2,291 in Lisbon – roughly 3% apart. Birmingham costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,557 per month in Birmingham and $3,437 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,640 per month in Birmingham and $616 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 11% more in Birmingham, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,371 in Birmingham and $2,291 in Lisbon. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,291 in Lisbon to $2,371 in Birmingham. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Birmingham makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.