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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,069 per month in Croydon vs $2,263 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,158 per month in Croydon vs $3,315 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,248 per month in Croydon vs $4,368 in Lisbon, rent included.

Croydon costs about 36% more than Lisbon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Croydon and Lisbon sit above the global median – Croydon by 128%, Lisbon by 68%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.39 £12.19

$15.94 €13.73

2.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.2 £49.95

$63.4 €54.6

6.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.46 £7.03

$10.38 €8.95

-8.86%

Cappuccino

$4.97 £3.70

$2.79 €2.40

78.14%

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

$2.35 £1.75

$2.34 €2.01

0.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.57 €1.35

-12.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 £5.18

$3.43 €2.95

102.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.57 £4.14

$3.91 €3.37

42.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 £1.36

$1.08 €0.93

69.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 £1.20

$1.77 €1.52

-8.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 £1.96

$1.71 €1.47

54.39%

Eggs

$3.79 £2.82

$3.15 €2.71

20.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.27 £5.40

$13.68 €11.79

-46.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.35 £6.21

$8.01 €6.90

4.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.65 £10.89

$15.52 €13.37

-5.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 £1.71

$2.29 €1.98

0.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 £0.96

$1.64 €1.41

-20.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.19 £2.37

$1.94 €1.67

64.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.88 £1.40

$2.51 €2.17

-25.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.36 £1.01

$1.79 €1.54

-24.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 £0.88

$2.01 €1.73

-41.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 £1.11

$1.97 €1.69

-24.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 £1.12

$0.84 €0.73

79.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.00 £14.87

$6.79 €5.85

194.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.84 £7.32

$5.67 €4.89

73.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 £1.87

$1.39 €1.20

81.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 £2.33

$3.02 €2.60

3.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 £1.82

$2.27 €1.95

7.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$122 £91.0

$45.44 €39.15

169.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.66 £4.95

$4.29 €3.70

55.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.19 £1.63

$0.85 €0.73

157.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$53.4 £39.70

$18.28 €15.75

192.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.45

$1.99 €1.71

-2.01%

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

$38.5K £28.6K

$35.0K €30.2K

9.88%

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

$41.3K £30.7K

$39.5K €34.1K

4.50%

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

$369 £275

$146 €126

152.76%

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

$16.15 £12.01

$20.45 €17.62

-21.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.77 £33.28

$38.98 €33.58

14.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.47 £26.37

$48.98 €42.21

-27.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.81 £10.27

$18.83 €16.22

-26.66%

Cinema Ticket

$11.35 £8.44

$9.52 €8.21

19.22%

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

$1,588 £1,180

$608 €524

161.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K £13.8K

$16.5K €14.2K

12.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.5 £54.6

$104 €89.5

-29.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.92 £36.37

$42.12 €36.29

16.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 £60.2

$92.2 €79.5

-12.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 £120

$120 €103

34.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,010 £1,495

$1,621 €1,397

23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 £1,248

$1,268 €1,092

32.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,660 £1,978

$3,048 €2,626

-12.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,364 £1,757

$2,009 €1,731

17.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,945 £6,650

$7,663 €6,602

16.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,024 £5,222

$4,329 €3,730

62.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,589 £3,412

$1,585 €1,366

189.55%

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: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,010 in Croydon versus $1,621 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 190% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $278 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

Croydon vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Croydon is pricier by about 36%, 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 $4,603 per month in Croydon and $3,394 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 $3,069 in Croydon and $2,263 in Lisbon. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 169% 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 $2,263, than in Croydon at $3,069. 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.