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: $2,479 in Cambridge versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,546 in Cambridge versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,614 in Cambridge versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Cambridge is roughly 8% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge 81% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.18 CA$25.27

$17.59 €15.23

3.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.8 CA$79.0

$62.9 €54.4

-9.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.22 CA$14.21

$11.58 €10.03

-11.74%

Cappuccino

$3.47 CA$4.83

$3.10 €2.68

11.94%

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

$2.07 CA$2.88

$2.49 €2.15

-16.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.40 CA$1.95

$1.74 €1.51

-19.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 CA$7.09

$3.48 €3.01

46.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 CA$8.51

$3.44 €2.98

77.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$2.98

$1.15 €0.99

86.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 CA$3.46

$1.91 €1.65

30.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 CA$3.67

$1.50 €1.30

76.00%

Eggs

$3.25 CA$4.52

$3.98 €3.45

-18.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.26 CA$15.66

$13.29 €11.51

-15.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 CA$16.17

$8.01 €6.94

45.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.26 CA$19.83

$18.04 €15.62

-20.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.80 CA$5.29

$2.35 €2.04

61.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 CA$1.67

$1.75 €1.52

-31.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 CA$5.90

$1.85 €1.61

129.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 CA$5.41

$2.55 €2.21

52.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 CA$3.21

$1.84 €1.60

25.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 CA$2.69

$2.10 €1.82

-8.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 CA$2.98

$1.49 €1.29

43.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.35 CA$1.87

$0.82 €0.71

64.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.21 CA$18.36

$7.10 €6.15

86.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 CA$17.77

$5.91 €5.11

116.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 CA$3.52

$1.31 €1.14

93.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 CA$4.55

$2.13 €1.85

53.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 CA$3.57

$2.36 €2.04

8.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.2 CA$92.1

$46.62 €40.36

42.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 CA$3.44

$4.08 €3.53

-39.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 CA$2.48

$1.14 €0.99

56.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.48 CA$32.63

$17.09 €14.80

37.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.20 CA$1.67

$2.31 €2.00

-48.05%

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

$26.5K CA$36.9K

$34.1K €29.5K

-22.26%

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

$19.3K CA$26.9K

$41.4K €35.8K

-53.31%

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

$154 CA$214

$169 €146

-8.77%

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

$42.87 CA$59.6

$19.33 €16.74

121.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.2 CA$69.7

$33.51 €29.01

49.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.22 CA$40.62

$48.84 €42.28

-40.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.82

Cinema Ticket

$10.41 CA$14.47

$9.57 €8.28

8.78%

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

$542 CA$753

$696 €602

-22.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K CA$22.5K

$17.4K €15.0K

-6.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 CA$77.3

$105 €91.2

-47.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.66 CA$44.01

$47.75 €41.34

-33.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.5 CA$92.4

$101 €87.0

-33.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 CA$148

$124 €108

-14.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 CA$1,894

$1,662 €1,439

-18.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,361 CA$1,891

$1,246 €1,079

9.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,584 CA$3,592

$2,965 €2,566

-12.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 CA$2,818

$2,049 €1,773

-1.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,364 CA$6,066

$7,834 €6,782

-44.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,898 CA$5,418

$4,464 €3,865

-12.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,082 CA$4,284

$1,632 €1,412

88.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.09

3.78

34.66%

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

Last update for Cambridge: September 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,362 in Cambridge and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 89% 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: $57.0 in Cambridge vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $277, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 8% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 89% 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: $1,362 in Cambridge versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% 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 $57.0 in Cambridge. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,479 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 8% less than in Cambridge. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.