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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,153 per month in Cambridge vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,455 per month in Cambridge vs $3,311 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,757 per month in Cambridge vs $4,411 in Lisbon, rent included.

Cambridge costs about 43% more than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Cambridge and Lisbon sit above the global median – Cambridge by 135%, Lisbon by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.65 £19.81

$15.91 €13.69

67.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.8 £70.5

$64.8 €55.7

46.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 £8.09

$10.51 €9.04

3.62%

Cappuccino

$4.91 £3.65

$2.87 €2.47

71.08%

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

$2.87 £2.13

$2.24 €1.93

28.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 £1.49

$1.50 €1.29

34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.93 £5.90

$3.49 €3.00

127.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 £6.05

$3.88 €3.34

109.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.14 €0.98

71.05%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 £1.66

$1.75 €1.51

27.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.91 £2.16

$1.76 €1.51

65.34%

Eggs

$4.62 £3.43

$3.22 €2.77

43.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.63 £9.39

$13.49 €11.61

-6.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.22 £7.60

$7.91 €6.81

29.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.20 £13.53

$15.87 €13.65

14.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 £2.35

$2.31 €1.99

36.80%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 £1.49

$1.70 €1.46

18.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 £2.80

$2.01 €1.73

87.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.55 £2.64

$2.46 €2.12

44.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.84 €1.59

5.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$2.00 €1.72

5.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 £1.02

$1.93 €1.66

-28.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.09

$0.79 €0.68

84.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.53 £15.26

$6.61 €5.68

210.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.26 £8.37

$5.72 €4.92

96.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.48 £2.58

$1.37 €1.17

154.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.17 £3.10

$2.97 €2.56

40.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £1.99

$2.37 €2.04

13.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.1 £60.3

$45.56 €39.19

77.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.71 £4.99

$4.29 €3.69

56.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 £1.86

$0.82 €0.70

204.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.3 £39.62

$18.30 €15.74

191.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.40

$2.06 €1.78

-8.74%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$34.3K €29.5K

10.28%

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

$44.6K £33.1K

$39.3K €33.8K

13.40%

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

$341 £253

$148 €127

130.59%

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

$15.52 £11.54

$20.52 €17.65

-24.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.75 £28.80

$39.61 €34.08

-2.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.7 £54.8

$47.85 €41.16

54.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.71 £10.93

$18.92 €16.28

-22.25%

Cinema Ticket

$16.27 £12.09

$9.18 €7.90

77.23%

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

$2,297 £1,707

$614 €528

274.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K £17.3K

$16.0K €13.8K

44.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.9 £63.9

$105 €90.0

-17.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.6 £42.07

$42.06 €36.18

34.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.1 £64.0

$94.0 €80.8

-8.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 £89.5

$120 €103

0.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,912 £1,421

$1,628 €1,400

17.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 £1,169

$1,255 €1,080

25.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,540 £2,632

$3,030 €2,607

16.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,484 £1,847

$2,020 €1,738

22.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,341 £6,943

$7,800 €6,709

19.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,064 £4,507

$4,273 €3,675

41.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,417 £3,283

$1,603 €1,379

175.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

3.81

45.41%

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

Last update for Cambridge: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,912 in Cambridge versus $1,628 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 175% higher in Cambridge, 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 $95.0 in Cambridge versus $65.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $358 vs $269 – 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

Cambridge vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Cambridge is pricier by about 43%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,730 per month in Cambridge and $3,315 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $95.0 in Cambridge and $65.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,153 in Cambridge and $2,210 in Lisbon. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,153 in Cambridge and $2,210 in Lisbon. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Cambridge makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.