Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Cambridge and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,462 in Cambridge versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,522 in Cambridge versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,582 in Cambridge versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Cambridge is roughly 7% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge 84% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.82 CA$20.85

$16.19 €14.18

-8.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.2 CA$91.7

$63.3 €55.5

2.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.00 CA$14.07

$10.32 €9.04

-3.10%

Cappuccino

$3.68 CA$5.18

$2.83 €2.48

30.04%

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

$2.21 CA$3.11

$2.29 €2.01

-3.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 CA$2.27

$1.58 €1.38

1.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.84 CA$8.21

$3.40 €2.98

71.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 CA$9.22

$4.03 €3.53

62.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$1.09 €0.96

104.59%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 CA$3.16

$1.75 €1.53

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 CA$4.21

$1.76 €1.54

69.89%

Eggs

$3.20 CA$4.50

$3.17 €2.77

0.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 CA$12.20

$13.19 €11.56

-34.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.95 CA$16.81

$7.97 €6.98

49.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.75 CA$19.35

$15.53 €13.60

-11.46%

Apples (1kg)

$3.99 CA$5.61

$2.37 €2.07

68.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 CA$1.72

$1.71 €1.49

-28.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.18

$2.01 €1.76

83.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 CA$5.51

$2.43 €2.13

60.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.73 CA$3.84

$1.76 €1.54

55.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 CA$3.45

$2.03 €1.78

21.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.24 CA$3.16

$1.92 €1.68

16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.57 CA$2.21

$0.85 €0.74

84.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.40 CA$18.85

$6.58 €5.76

103.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.25 CA$17.24

$5.58 €4.89

119.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 CA$3.44

$1.33 €1.17

84.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.16 CA$4.45

$2.97 €2.60

6.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.56 CA$3.60

$2.28 €1.99

12.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.6 CA$93.7

$45.79 €40.10

45.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.61 CA$3.67

$4.23 €3.70

-38.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 CA$2.40

$0.81 €0.71

111.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.84 CA$33.54

$18.44 €16.15

29.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 CA$1.56

$2.08 €1.82

-46.63%

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

$25.4K CA$35.7K

$34.7K €30.4K

-26.74%

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

$20.3K CA$28.5K

$39.2K €34.3K

-48.20%

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

$151 CA$212

$148 €130

1.90%

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

$39.94 CA$56.2

$20.46 €17.92

95.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 CA$76.1

$39.56 €34.64

36.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.81 CA$41.94

$47.99 €42.03

-37.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$11.55 CA$16.26

$9.22 €8.08

25.27%

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

$556 CA$782

$616 €540

-9.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K CA$14.7K

$16.4K €14.4K

-36.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 CA$78.0

$103 €90.0

-46.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.68 CA$48.80

$41.74 €36.55

-16.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.6 CA$99.4

$94.8 €83.0

-25.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$122 €107

-9.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,410 CA$1,984

$1,633 €1,430

-13.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,377 CA$1,938

$1,232 €1,079

11.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,684 CA$3,776

$3,098 €2,713

-13.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,127 CA$2,993

$2,031 €1,779

4.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,165 CA$5,861

$7,831 €6,858

-46.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,848 CA$5,414

$4,389 €3,844

-12.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,007 CA$4,231

$1,607 €1,408

87.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

3.81

74.28%

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

Last update for Cambridge: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,410 in Cambridge and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 87% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Cambridge vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $267 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

Cambridge vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around. The 7% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Cambridge, 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: $1,410 in Cambridge versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Cambridge. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $65.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,462 in Cambridge, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Cambridge. 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 Cambridge, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cambridge 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.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.