Cost of Living Comparison Between Croydon and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Croydon and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,092 per month in Croydon vs $2,227 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,176 per month in Croydon vs $3,305 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,261 per month in Croydon vs $4,384 in Lisbon, rent included.

Croydon costs about 39% more than Lisbon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Croydon and Lisbon sit above the global median – Croydon by 131%, Lisbon by 66%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 £11.98

$16.17 €13.81

0.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.8 £49.39

$64.6 €55.1

3.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.38 £6.94

$10.38 €8.86

-9.63%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.54

$2.77 €2.37

72.56%

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

$2.33 £1.72

$2.25 €1.92

3.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.57 €1.34

-15.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 £5.06

$3.49 €2.98

95.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 £3.92

$4.00 €3.42

32.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.86 £1.38

$1.08 €0.93

72.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 £1.14

$1.74 €1.49

-11.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.72 £2.01

$1.74 €1.48

56.32%

Eggs

$3.63 £2.68

$3.18 €2.71

14.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.63 £5.65

$13.43 €11.47

-43.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.96 £5.89

$7.99 €6.83

-0.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.67 £10.86

$16.09 €13.74

-8.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.44 £1.80

$2.28 €1.95

7.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 £0.96

$1.72 €1.47

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 £2.28

$1.94 €1.66

58.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 £1.39

$2.54 €2.17

-25.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$1.83 €1.56

-27.87%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 £0.92

$2.04 €1.74

-39.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.98 €1.69

-23.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 £1.11

$0.85 €0.73

76.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.56 £15.22

$6.85 €5.85

200.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.73 £7.20

$5.78 €4.93

68.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 £1.78

$1.37 €1.17

75.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 £2.35

$2.90 €2.48

9.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 £1.81

$2.28 €1.95

7.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$123 £90.8

$46.84 €40.00

162.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.59 £4.88

$4.08 €3.48

61.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.17 £1.60

$0.82 €0.70

164.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$55.3 £40.95

$18.27 €15.60

202.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.46

$2.01 €1.71

-1.99%

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

$38.3K £28.4K

$35.3K €30.1K

8.65%

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

$41.4K £30.6K

$38.5K €32.9K

7.56%

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

$365 £270

$145 €124

150.88%

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

$16.46 £12.18

$20.96 €17.90

-21.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.90 £33.23

$40.05 €34.21

12.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.93 £25.85

$48.79 €41.66

-28.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.67 £10.11

$18.69 €15.97

-26.86%

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 £8.41

$9.06 €7.74

25.39%

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

$1,624 £1,202

$607 €518

167.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K £13.7K

$16.3K €13.9K

13.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.6 £54.4

$105 €89.4

-29.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 £37.39

$40.95 €34.97

23.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.0 £62.2

$93.6 €79.9

-10.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 £118

$119 €101

34.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 £1,475

$1,604 €1,370

24.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 £1,227

$1,236 €1,055

34.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,739 £2,027

$3,046 €2,601

-10.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,448 £1,811

$2,057 €1,756

19.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,960 £6,630

$7,709 €6,583

16.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,007 £5,185

$4,266 €3,644

64.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,480 £3,315

$1,584 €1,353

182.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.08

3.81

59.58%

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

Last update for Croydon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,993 in Croydon versus $1,604 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 183% higher in Croydon, 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 $67.0 in Croydon versus $65.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $276 vs $271 – 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

Croydon vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Croydon is pricier by about 39%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,638 per month in Croydon and $3,341 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.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,092 in Croydon and $2,227 in Lisbon. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 162% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,227, than in Croydon at $3,092. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Croydon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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