Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,033 in Durham versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,006 in Durham versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,980 in Durham versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

Living in Durham costs roughly 9% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham 52% above, Lisbon 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.92 £14.00

$16.17 €13.81

17.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.8 £71.6

$64.6 €55.1

49.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 £7.41

$10.38 €8.86

-3.47%

Cappuccino

$4.37 £3.24

$2.77 €2.37

57.76%

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

$2.50 £1.85

$2.25 €1.92

11.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 £1.43

$1.57 €1.34

22.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 £4.50

$3.49 €2.98

74.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.37 £3.97

$4.00 €3.42

34.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.32

$1.08 €0.93

65.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 £1.20

$1.74 €1.49

-6.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 £1.86

$1.74 €1.48

44.25%

Eggs

$4.00 £2.96

$3.18 €2.71

25.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.25 £6.85

$13.43 €11.47

-31.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.21 £6.08

$7.99 €6.83

2.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.59 £7.09

$16.09 €13.74

-40.40%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 £2.71

$2.28 €1.95

60.53%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 £1.69

$1.72 €1.47

32.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 £2.39

$1.94 €1.66

66.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 £2.53

$2.54 €2.17

34.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.15 £0.85

$1.83 €1.56

-37.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 £1.16

$2.04 €1.74

-23.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 £0.77

$1.98 €1.69

-47.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.82 £1.35

$0.85 €0.73

114.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.65 £16.76

$6.85 €5.85

230.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.04 £8.17

$5.78 €4.93

91.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 £2.29

$1.37 €1.17

125.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.20

$2.90 €2.48

2.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.18 £2.35

$2.28 €1.95

39.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.8 £41.28

$46.84 €40.00

19.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.82 £3.57

$4.08 €3.48

18.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 £1.16

$0.82 €0.70

91.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.48 £17.38

$18.27 €15.60

28.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.93 £1.43

$2.01 €1.71

-3.98%

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

$37.1K £27.5K

$35.3K €30.1K

5.26%

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

$39.8K £29.5K

$38.5K €32.9K

3.53%

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

$276 £204

$145 €124

89.71%

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

$15.57 £11.52

$20.96 €17.90

-25.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.37 £25.43

$40.05 €34.21

-14.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.3 £37.20

$48.79 €41.66

3.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €15.97

Cinema Ticket

$12.92 £9.56

$9.06 €7.74

42.60%

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

$1,615 £1,195

$607 €518

166.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K £13.5K

$16.3K €13.9K

11.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 £75.6

$105 €89.4

-2.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 £44.44

$40.95 €34.97

46.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 £91.4

$93.6 €79.9

31.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.2 £66.0

$119 €101

-24.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,463 £1,083

$1,604 €1,370

-8.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 £613

$1,236 €1,055

-32.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,610 £1,932

$3,046 €2,601

-14.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 £939

$2,057 €1,756

-38.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,204 £3,851

$7,709 €6,583

-32.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,964 £2,934

$4,266 €3,644

-7.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,090 £1,547

$1,584 €1,353

31.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

3.81

43.04%

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

Last update for Durham: April 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,463 in Durham and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $97.0 in Durham vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $296 vs $271 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

Durham vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durham and Lisbon differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,033 vs $2,227 including rent). Durham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Durham pays 32% more on average, 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: $1,463 in Durham versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,033 per month in Durham versus $2,227 in Lisbon – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durham runs roughly 19% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,033 in Durham versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Durham but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Durham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Durham 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 Durham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.