Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Folkestone and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Folkestone: $1,977 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Folkestone
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,977
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Folkestone and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Folkestone and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,977 per month in Folkestone vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Folkestone $1,977
  • Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $3,052 per month in Folkestone vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Folkestone $3,052
  • Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $4,128 per month in Folkestone vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Folkestone $4,128
  • Lisbon $4,346

Folkestone is about 10% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Folkestone and Lisbon sit above the global median – Folkestone by 46%, Lisbon by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Folkestone
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.37 £13.03
$17.04 €15.15
1.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$66.7 £50.1
$62.3 €55.4
7.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.54 £7.90
$11.02 €9.80
-4.36%
Cappuccino
$4.74 £3.56
$3.12 €2.78
51.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 £2.04
$2.27 €2.02
19.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.84 £1.38
$1.74 €1.55
5.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.75 £5.06
$3.42 €3.04
97.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.45 £4.84
$3.74 €3.33
72.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Folkestone
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 £1.13
$1.17 €1.04
28.21%
White Bread (500g)
$1.33 £1.00
$1.86 €1.66
-28.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.30 £0.98
$1.54 €1.37
-15.58%
Eggs
$2.98 £2.23
$4.06 €3.61
-26.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.60 £7.20
$12.91 €11.49
-25.64%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.80 £5.85
$7.90 €7.03
-1.27%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.76 £11.07
$17.64 €15.69
-16.33%
Apples (1kg)
$3.25 £2.44
$2.26 €2.01
43.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 £1.09
$1.75 €1.55
-17.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.79 £2.09
$1.89 €1.68
47.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.26 £2.44
$2.56 €2.27
27.34%
Potato (1kg)
$1.59 £1.20
$1.85 €1.64
-14.05%
Onion (1kg)
$1.41 £1.06
$1.97 €1.75
-28.43%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.69 £1.27
$1.45 €1.29
16.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.48 £1.11
$0.77 €0.69
92.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.97 £17.98
$6.71 €5.97
257.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.79 £8.09
$5.67 €5.04
90.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 £2.09
$1.37 €1.22
102.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.67 £2.75
$2.11 €1.88
73.93%
🚌 Getting Around
Folkestone
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.71 £2.03
$2.32 €2.07
16.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$32.78 £24.59
$44.43 €39.52
-26.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.32 £0.99
$3.95 €3.51
-66.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.68 £1.26
$1.05 €0.93
60.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$21.69 £16.28
$17.15 €15.26
26.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.98 £1.48
$2.19 €1.95
-9.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.4K £28.8K
$33.8K €30.0K
13.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.6K £30.5K
$38.3K €34.0K
6.08%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Folkestone
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$253 £190
$164 €146
54.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$24.53 £18.40
$18.48 €16.43
32.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.77 £30.58
$32.96 €29.32
23.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Folkestone
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$73.1 £54.8
$45.87 €40.80
59.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.46 £7.10
$18.68 €16.61
-49.36%
Cinema Ticket
$21.11 £15.84
$9.75 €8.67
116.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Folkestone
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,046 £785
$684 €608
52.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.3K £15.2K
$17.6K €15.7K
14.98%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Folkestone
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$69.4 £52.1
$104 €92.3
-33.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.93 £23.95
$46.20 €41.09
-30.89%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.6 £58.2
$99.7 €88.7
-22.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$51.1 £38.30
$125 €111
-59.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Folkestone
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,130 £848
$1,589 €1,414
-28.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$810 £607
$1,169 €1,040
-30.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,479 £1,109
$2,851 €2,536
-48.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,631 £1,224
$1,993 €1,773
-18.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,465 £2,600
$7,793 €6,932
-55.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,474 £2,606
$4,418 €3,930
-21.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Folkestone
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,600 €1,423
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.91
3.85
27.53%

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

Last update for Folkestone: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Folkestone
$810
Lisbon
$1.2K 44.4% $359
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Folkestone
$318
Lisbon
$215 32.3% $103
Eating Out
Folkestone
$292
Lisbon
$247 15.4% $45
Groceries & Markets
Folkestone
$285
Lisbon
$273 4.2% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Folkestone
$115
Lisbon
$65 43.3% $50
Clothing & Footwear
Folkestone
$103
Lisbon
$168 62.8% $65
Getting Around
Folkestone
$53
Lisbon
$63 18% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,130 in Folkestone versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Folkestone versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $285 vs $273 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Folkestone
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
18:13 6:13 PM
18:13 6:13 PM
Same time as Folkestone
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
45,273
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Folkestone Lisbon 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Folkestone
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Folkestone vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Folkestone and in Lisbon compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,977 in Folkestone, $2,202 in Lisbon – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.
What salary covers living expenses in Folkestone compared to Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,966 per month in Folkestone and $3,302 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Folkestone and Lisbon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Folkestone, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $67.0 in Folkestone and $62.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Folkestone or Lisbon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,977 in Folkestone and $2,202 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 11%.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Folkestone, where all-in costs run around $1,977, than in Lisbon at $2,202. In Folkestone it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Folkestone and Lisbon?
It depends on your priorities. Folkestone has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,977 in Folkestone to $2,202 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Folkestone or Lisbon safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Folkestone and Lisbon?
If budget matters most, go with Folkestone. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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