Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheltenham and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Cheltenham and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,346 in Cheltenham versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,549 in Cheltenham versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,752 in Cheltenham versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Cheltenham is roughly 1% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cheltenham 71% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.91 £17.68

$17.30 €14.87

38.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 £78.6

$63.3 €54.4

68.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.75 £8.69

$11.39 €9.79

3.16%

Cappuccino

$4.70 £3.47

$3.19 €2.74

47.34%

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

$2.76 £2.04

$2.45 €2.10

12.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.33

$1.76 €1.52

2.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.76 £5.74

$3.59 €3.09

116.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 £5.10

$3.39 €2.92

103.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 £1.26

$1.24 €1.06

37.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.68 £1.24

$1.98 €1.71

-15.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.10 £1.56

$1.52 €1.31

38.16%

Eggs

$4.49 £3.32

$4.04 €3.47

11.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.33 £6.16

$13.54 €11.64

-38.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.82 £7.26

$8.39 €7.21

17.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.42 £9.92

$18.25 €15.69

-26.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 £2.41

$2.29 €1.97

42.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 £1.11

$1.74 €1.50

-13.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 £1.44

$1.86 €1.60

4.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 £2.53

$2.63 €2.26

30.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.92 €1.65

-15.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 £1.14

$2.09 €1.80

-26.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.95

$1.44 €1.24

-10.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.08

$0.84 €0.72

73.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.75 £17.56

$6.78 €5.83

250.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.03 £8.15

$5.71 €4.91

93.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 £2.12

$1.38 €1.18

107.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 £2.20

$2.22 €1.91

33.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 £2.56

$2.40 €2.06

44.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$94.9 £70.2

$46.78 €40.22

102.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.62 £2.67

$4.17 €3.59

-13.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 £1.21

$1.14 €0.98

43.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.20 £20.11

$17.68 €15.20

53.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.38

$2.32 €2.00

-19.83%

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

$39.0K £28.8K

$35.3K €30.4K

10.30%

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

$42.1K £31.1K

$41.4K €35.6K

1.46%

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

$345 £255

$170 €146

102.56%

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

$17.09 £12.63

$19.34 €16.62

-11.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.9 £37.63

$33.64 €28.92

51.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.41 £33.57

$48.10 €41.35

-5.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.04 £30.33

$19.90 €17.11

106.23%

Cinema Ticket

$14.00 £10.35

$9.92 €8.53

41.13%

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

$2,048 £1,514

$717 €617

185.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K £18.5K

$17.5K €15.0K

43.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 £76.5

$105 €90.1

-1.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 £37.23

$46.95 €40.36

7.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 £81.6

$103 €88.9

6.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 £73.7

$124 €107

-19.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 £888

$1,677 €1,441

-28.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 £688

$1,271 €1,093

-26.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,248 £1,662

$2,985 €2,566

-24.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 £1,212

$1,992 €1,713

-17.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,902 £4,363

$7,826 €6,728

-24.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,719 £4,227

$4,658 €4,004

22.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,877 £3,605

$1,583 €1,361

208.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

3.79

46.17%

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

Last update for Cheltenham: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,201 in Cheltenham and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cheltenham pays 208% 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: $106 in Cheltenham vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 vs $283 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

Cheltenham vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 1% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 208% higher in Cheltenham, 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: $1,201 in Cheltenham versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $106 in Cheltenham. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,346 per month in Cheltenham versus $2,316 in Lisbon – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,316 in Lisbon versus $2,346 in Cheltenham, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Cheltenham. 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 Cheltenham, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cheltenham 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 1% less than in Cheltenham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.