Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilford and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,414 in Ilford, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Ilford despite lower rent and utilities.

Ilford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,414
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ilford 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 Ilford and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,414 per month in Ilford vs $2,223 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Ilford $2,414
  • Lisbon $2,223

A couple spends around $3,764 per month in Ilford vs $3,271 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Ilford $3,764
  • Lisbon $3,271

A family of three spends $5,115 per month in Ilford vs $4,319 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Ilford $5,115
  • Lisbon $4,319

Ilford costs about 9% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ilford and Lisbon sit above the global median – Ilford by 79%, Lisbon by 65%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ilford
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.28 £15.97
$16.50 €14.67
28.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$93.9 £70.5
$61.3 €54.5
53.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.51 £7.89
$11.27 €10.03
-6.74%
Cappuccino
$4.60 £3.45
$3.06 €2.72
50.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.81 £2.11
$2.26 €2.01
24.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 £1.38
$1.73 €1.54
5.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.91 £5.93
$3.39 €3.02
133.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.43 £4.82
$3.40 €3.02
89.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ilford
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.64 £1.23
$1.12 €1.00
46.43%
White Bread (500g)
$1.72 £1.29
$1.86 €1.65
-7.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.30 £1.72
$1.53 €1.36
50.33%
Eggs
$4.60 £3.45
$3.96 €3.53
16.16%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.46 £7.09
$12.76 €11.35
-25.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.61 £7.21
$7.90 €7.02
21.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.45 £11.59
$16.97 €15.09
-8.96%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 £2.21
$2.27 €2.02
29.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.41 £1.06
$1.75 €1.55
-19.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.96 £2.22
$1.85 €1.64
60.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.28 £2.46
$2.57 €2.28
27.63%
Potato (1kg)
$1.67 £1.25
$1.86 €1.65
-10.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.77 £1.33
$2.02 €1.80
-12.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.28 £0.96
$1.44 €1.28
-11.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.77 £1.33
$0.82 €0.73
115.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.20 £16.65
$6.56 €5.83
238.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.88 £8.16
$5.62 €5.00
93.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.04 £2.28
$1.28 €1.14
137.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92 £2.94
$2.07 €1.84
89.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Ilford
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.43 £2.57
$2.35 €2.09
45.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.6 £73.3
$44.18 €39.30
120.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.39 £4.05
$3.99 €3.55
35.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.61 £1.96
$1.09 €0.97
139.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.45 £19.09
$16.64 €14.81
52.94%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 £1.58
$2.28 €2.03
-7.46%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.9K £29.2K
$33.7K €30.0K
15.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.9K £30.7K
$39.3K €35.0K
4.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ilford
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$334 £250
$167 €149
99.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.31 £13.74
$18.80 €16.72
-2.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.86 £30.65
$33.09 €29.43
23.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ilford
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.93 £33.70
$46.01 €40.93
-2.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.19 €17.07
-
Cinema Ticket
$17.09 £12.82
$9.84 €8.75
73.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ilford
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,535 £1,902
$677 €602
274.36%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.1K £26.3K
$16.9K €15.1K
107.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ilford
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.0 £66.0
$101 €90.1
-13.07%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.25 £34.69
$45.76 €40.70
1.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.0 £69.8
$100.0 €88.9
-7.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.2 £72.1
$123 €109
-21.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ilford
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,350 £1,013
$1,614 €1,436
-16.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,023 £768
$1,197 €1,065
-14.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,960 £2,221
$2,862 €2,545
3.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,099 £1,575
$1,990 €1,770
5.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,983 £3,739
$7,577 €6,740
-34.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,831 £2,874
$4,307 €3,831
-11.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ilford
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,485 £2,615
$1,588 €1,412
119.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.04
3.85
30.91%

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

Last update for Ilford: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ilford
$1K
Lisbon
$1.2K 17% $174
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ilford
$393
Lisbon
$219 44.1% $173
Eating Out
Ilford
$328
Lisbon
$242 26.2% $86
Groceries & Markets
Ilford
$315
Lisbon
$269 14.5% $46
Clothing & Footwear
Ilford
$146
Lisbon
$166 14.3% $21
Getting Around
Ilford
$130
Lisbon
$63 51.5% $67
Sport & Entertainment
Ilford
$79
Lisbon
$66 17% $13

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,350 in Ilford versus $1,614 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 120% higher in Ilford, 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 $94.0 in Ilford versus $61.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $315 vs $269 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Ilford
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
23:30 11:30 PM
23:30 11:30 PM
Same time as Ilford
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
168,168
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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ilford Lisbon 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Ilford
  • 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
Ilford vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ilford or Lisbon?
Ilford costs about 9% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Ilford and in Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,620 per month in Ilford and $3,335 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Ilford or Lisbon?
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.
Are groceries more expensive in Ilford or in Lisbon?
Groceries cost about 17% more in Ilford, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
How do dining costs compare in Ilford and in Lisbon?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $94.0 in Ilford and $61.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Ilford or in Lisbon?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,223, than in Ilford at $2,414. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ilford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ilford or Lisbon?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lisbon costs $2,223 versus $2,414 in Ilford. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Ilford compared to Lisbon?
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.
Should I move to Ilford or to Lisbon?
If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ilford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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