Cost of Living Comparison Between Chelmsford and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Chelmsford and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,538 in Chelmsford versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,937 in Chelmsford versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,336 in Chelmsford versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Chelmsford is roughly 11% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chelmsford 86% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.88 £20.09

$17.59 €15.33

52.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 £44.09

$62.9 €54.8

-6.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.17 £6.85

$11.58 €10.10

-20.81%

Cappuccino

$5.02 £3.75

$3.10 €2.70

61.94%

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

$3.11 £2.33

$2.49 €2.17

24.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.35

$1.74 €1.52

3.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.39 £5.52

$3.48 €3.03

112.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.22 £5.40

$3.44 €3.00

109.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 £1.32

$1.15 €1.00

53.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 £1.78

$1.91 €1.66

24.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.90 £2.17

$1.50 €1.31

93.33%

Eggs

$3.52 £2.63

$3.98 €3.47

-11.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 £6.44

$13.29 €11.59

-35.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.74 £6.53

$8.01 €6.98

9.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.24 £10.64

$18.04 €15.73

-21.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 £1.80

$2.35 €2.05

2.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$1.75 €1.53

-12.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 £2.85

$1.85 €1.62

105.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.40 £2.54

$2.55 €2.22

33.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.78 £1.33

$1.84 €1.61

-3.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 £1.21

$2.10 €1.83

-22.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 £0.89

$1.49 €1.30

-20.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 £1.37

$0.82 €0.71

123.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.71 £17.72

$7.10 €6.19

233.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.13 £9.06

$5.91 €5.15

105.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 £2.26

$1.31 €1.15

130.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.63 £2.71

$2.13 €1.86

70.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 £2.94

$2.36 €2.05

66.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.0 £53.1

$46.62 €40.63

52.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.74 £3.54

$4.08 €3.55

16.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.30

$1.14 €0.99

52.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.96 £20.15

$17.09 €14.90

57.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 £1.50

$2.31 €2.01

-12.99%

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

$39.0K £29.2K

$34.1K €29.7K

14.36%

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

$42.0K £31.4K

$41.4K €36.1K

1.45%

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

$269 £201

$169 €147

59.47%

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

$15.00 £11.21

$19.33 €16.85

-22.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.24 £27.08

$33.51 €29.21

8.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 £37.86

$48.84 €42.57

3.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$17.53 £13.10

$9.57 €8.34

83.18%

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

$1,909 £1,427

$696 €607

174.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K £9,963

$17.4K €15.1K

-23.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 £76.3

$105 €91.8

-3.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.68 £34.13

$47.75 €41.62

-4.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.6 £72.2

$101 €87.6

-3.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.0 £66.5

$124 €108

-28.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,585 £1,184

$1,662 €1,449

-4.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 £915

$1,246 €1,086

-1.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,698 £2,016

$2,965 €2,584

-9.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,599 £1,942

$2,049 €1,786

26.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,974 £2,222

$1,632 €1,422

82.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.21

3.78

37.83%

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

Last update for Chelmsford: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,585 in Chelmsford and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chelmsford pays 82% 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: $59.0 in Chelmsford vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $315 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

Chelmsford vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chelmsford and Lisbon differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,538 vs $2,296 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 82% higher in Chelmsford, 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: $1,585 in Chelmsford versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,909 in Chelmsford versus $696 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Chelmsford. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Chelmsford 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 11% less than in Chelmsford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.