Cost of Living Comparison Between Exeter and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Exeter and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,386 in Exeter versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,893 in Exeter versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,400 in Exeter versus $4,307 in Lisbon.

Living in Exeter is roughly 5% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Exeter 79% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.34 £15.08

$15.75 €13.67

29.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.1 £65.3

$63.5 €55.1

38.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 £7.64

$10.45 €9.07

-1.44%

Cappuccino

$4.46 £3.31

$2.91 €2.53

53.26%

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

$3.14 £2.33

$2.29 €1.99

37.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 £1.25

$1.50 €1.30

12.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.56 £5.60

$3.56 €3.09

112.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.94 £4.41

$3.96 €3.44

50.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 £1.25

$1.08 €0.94

55.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.90 £1.41

$1.76 €1.53

7.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.67 £1.24

$1.70 €1.47

-1.76%

Eggs

$4.72 £3.50

$3.25 €2.82

45.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.22 £6.09

$13.25 €11.49

-37.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.91 £5.12

$7.70 €6.68

-10.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.20 £14.23

$15.77 €13.68

21.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.42 £1.80

$2.28 €1.98

6.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 £0.95

$1.66 €1.44

-22.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.32 £1.72

$2.02 €1.75

14.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.09 £2.29

$2.47 €2.15

25.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.14 £0.85

$1.79 €1.55

-36.31%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 £0.98

$2.07 €1.79

-36.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 £0.73

$1.97 €1.71

-49.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 £1.08

$0.83 €0.72

75.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.94 £16.27

$6.55 €5.69

234.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 £7.07

$5.57 €4.83

71.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 £1.99

$1.33 €1.15

102.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 £1.88

$3.01 €2.61

-15.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 £1.98

$2.27 €1.97

18.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$106 £78.9

$46.35 €40.21

129.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.65 £4.93

$4.23 €3.67

57.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 £1.27

$0.85 €0.74

102.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.98 £16.30

$18.83 €16.33

16.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$2.02 €1.75

-3.96%

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

$38.9K £28.8K

$35.0K €30.3K

11.20%

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

$39.1K £29.0K

$39.6K €34.4K

-1.31%

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

$335 £249

$148 €128

126.74%

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

$16.41 £12.17

$20.52 €17.80

-20.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.34 £33.62

$39.52 €34.29

14.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.84 £29.54

$48.17 €41.79

-17.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.43 £10.70

$18.39 €15.95

-21.53%

Cinema Ticket

$12.37 £9.17

$9.10 €7.89

35.93%

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

$1,495 £1,109

$615 €533

143.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K £15.5K

$16.3K €14.1K

28.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.0 £56.3

$102 €88.1

-25.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.52 £25.60

$42.09 €36.51

-17.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 £76.7

$92.3 €80.1

12.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 £80.7

$122 €106

-10.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,336 £991

$1,612 €1,398

-17.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 £738

$1,254 €1,088

-20.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 £1,919

$3,069 €2,663

-15.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 £1,819

$2,037 €1,767

20.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,424 £4,022

$7,751 €6,724

-30.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 £4,780

$4,286 €3,718

50.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,124 £2,317

$1,602 €1,390

95.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.72

3.81

50.13%

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

Last update for Exeter: July 28, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,336 in Exeter and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Exeter pays 95% 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: $88.0 in Exeter vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $267 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

Exeter vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Exeter and Lisbon differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,386 vs $2,280 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 95% higher in Exeter, 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: $1,336 in Exeter versus $1,612 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 $88.0 in Exeter. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,386 per month in Exeter versus $2,280 in Lisbon – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,280 in Lisbon versus $2,386 in Exeter, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Exeter. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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, Exeter 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 5% less than in Exeter. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.