Cost of Living Comparison Between Hertfordshire and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Hertfordshire and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,541 in Hertfordshire versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,871 in Hertfordshire versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,200 in Hertfordshire versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Hertfordshire is roughly 11% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hertfordshire 86% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.55 £20.58

$17.59 €15.33

56.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.5 £61.6

$62.9 €54.8

31.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 £8.07

$11.58 €10.10

-6.65%

Cappuccino

$5.12 £3.83

$3.10 €2.70

65.16%

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

$2.54 £1.90

$2.49 €2.17

2.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 £1.53

$1.74 €1.52

17.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.81 £4.34

$3.48 €3.03

66.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.71 £4.26

$3.44 €3.00

65.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 £1.15

$1.15 €1.00

33.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 £1.40

$1.91 €1.66

-2.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.82 £2.11

$1.50 €1.31

88.00%

Eggs

$3.56 £2.66

$3.98 €3.47

-10.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.25 £6.17

$13.29 €11.59

-37.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.16 £5.35

$8.01 €6.98

-10.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.00 £12.70

$18.04 €15.73

-5.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 £2.57

$2.35 €2.05

46.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.75 €1.53

-9.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 £2.43

$1.85 €1.62

75.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 £2.58

$2.55 €2.22

35.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.84 €1.61

-32.61%

Onion (1kg)

$1.82 £1.36

$2.10 €1.83

-13.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 £0.94

$1.49 €1.30

-15.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 £1.13

$0.82 €0.71

85.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.50 £16.07

$7.10 €6.19

202.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.23 £7.64

$5.91 €5.15

73.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 £1.56

$1.31 €1.15

59.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 £1.54

$2.13 €1.86

-3.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.42 £2.56

$2.36 €2.05

44.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.9 £65.0

$46.62 €40.63

86.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.18 £3.13

$4.08 €3.55

2.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.97 £2.97

$1.14 €0.99

248.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.77 £24.49

$17.09 €14.90

91.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.45

$2.31 €2.01

-16.02%

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

$38.9K £29.1K

$34.1K €29.7K

14.07%

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

$41.3K £30.8K

$41.4K €36.1K

-0.30%

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

$161 £120

$169 €147

-4.63%

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

$17.66 £13.20

$19.33 €16.85

-8.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.05 £33.67

$33.51 €29.21

34.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.90 £35.79

$48.84 €42.57

-1.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$13.31 £9.95

$9.57 €8.34

39.08%

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

$1,637 £1,223

$696 €607

135.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K £16.8K

$17.4K €15.1K

29.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.95 £35.83

$105 €91.8

-54.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.99 £29.88

$47.75 €41.62

-16.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 £54.9

$101 €87.6

-26.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 £85.6

$124 €108

-7.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 £1,355

$1,662 €1,449

9.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 £1,032

$1,246 €1,086

10.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,881 £2,153

$2,965 €2,584

-2.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,364 £1,767

$2,049 €1,786

15.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,086 £3,801

$7,834 €6,829

-35.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,015 £3,000

$4,464 €3,892

-10.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,230 £2,414

$1,632 €1,422

97.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.21

3.78

37.83%

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

Last update for Hertfordshire: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,814 in Hertfordshire and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hertfordshire pays 98% 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: $82.0 in Hertfordshire vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $294 vs $277 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

Hertfordshire vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 98% higher in Hertfordshire, 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: $1,814 in Hertfordshire versus $1,662 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 $82.0 in Hertfordshire. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,541 per month in Hertfordshire versus $2,296 in Lisbon – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Lisbon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hertfordshire, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Hertfordshire 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 11% less than in Hertfordshire. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.