Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ipswich and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Ipswich: $2,037 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Ipswich
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,037
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,037 per month in Ipswich vs $2,223 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Ipswich $2,037
  • Lisbon $2,223

A couple spends around $2,901 per month in Ipswich vs $3,271 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Ipswich $2,901
  • Lisbon $3,271

A family of three spends $3,766 per month in Ipswich vs $4,319 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Ipswich $3,766
  • Lisbon $4,319

Ipswich is about 8% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Ipswich and Lisbon sit above the global median – Ipswich by 51%, Lisbon by 65%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ipswich
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$31.50 A$45.33
$16.50 €14.67
90.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.1 A$107
$61.3 €54.5
21.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.98 A$14.36
$11.27 €10.02
-11.45%
Cappuccino
$4.54 A$6.53
$3.06 €2.72
48.37%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.92 A$5.64
$2.26 €2.01
73.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 A$3.60
$1.73 €1.54
44.51%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$9.04 A$13.01
$3.39 €3.02
166.67%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.61 A$10.94
$3.40 €3.02
123.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ipswich
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.42 A$3.48
$1.12 €1.00
116.07%
White Bread (500g)
$2.37 A$3.41
$1.86 €1.65
27.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.22 A$3.19
$1.53 €1.36
45.10%
Eggs
$7.14 A$10.27
$3.96 €3.53
80.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.32 A$10.53
$12.76 €11.35
-42.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.24 A$11.86
$7.90 €7.02
4.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.05 A$20.22
$16.97 €15.09
-17.21%
Apples (1kg)
$3.37 A$4.86
$2.27 €2.02
48.46%
Banana (1kg)
$2.57 A$3.70
$1.75 €1.55
46.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.85 A$4.10
$1.85 €1.64
54.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.76 A$5.41
$2.57 €2.28
46.30%
Potato (1kg)
$1.99 A$2.87
$1.86 €1.65
6.99%
Onion (1kg)
$2.05 A$2.95
$2.02 €1.80
1.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.46 A$3.54
$1.44 €1.28
70.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.78 A$2.56
$0.82 €0.73
117.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$44.60 A$64.2
$6.56 €5.83
579.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$22.31 A$32.11
$5.62 €5.00
296.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$6.21 A$8.93
$1.28 €1.14
385.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.15 A$10.28
$2.07 €1.84
245.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Ipswich
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.36 A$0.52
$2.35 €2.09
-84.68%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.18 €39.29
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.18 A$3.14
$3.99 €3.55
-45.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.56 A$2.25
$1.09 €0.97
43.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.12 A$52.0
$16.64 €14.80
117.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 A$2.11
$2.28 €2.03
-35.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
-
$33.7K €30.0K
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
-
$39.3K €34.9K
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ipswich
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$90.9 A$131
$167 €149
-45.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$30.70 A$44.18
$18.80 €16.72
63.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$63.2 A$90.9
$33.09 €29.43
90.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ipswich
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$17.21 A$24.76
$46.01 €40.92
-62.60%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.19 €17.07
-
Cinema Ticket
-
$9.84 €8.75
-
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ipswich
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
-
$677 €602
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$16.9K €15.0K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ipswich
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
-
$101 €90.0
-
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
-
$45.76 €40.70
-
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
-
$100.0 €88.9
-
Men's Leather Business Shoes
-
$123 €109
-
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ipswich
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,026 A$1,476
$1,614 €1,435
-36.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,016 A$1,463
$1,197 €1,065
-15.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,416 A$2,038
$2,862 €2,545
-50.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,402 A$2,018
$1,990 €1,770
-29.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,577 €6,739
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,307 €3,831
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ipswich
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,146 A$5,966
$1,588 €1,412
161.10%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.98
3.85
55.32%

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

Last update for Ipswich: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ipswich
$1K
Lisbon
$1.2K 17.8% $181
Eating Out
Ipswich
$423
Lisbon
$242 42.7% $180
Groceries & Markets
Ipswich
$384
Lisbon
$269 29.9% $115
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ipswich
$185
Lisbon
$219 18.8% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Ipswich
$17 *
Lisbon
$66 282% $48
Getting Around
Ipswich
$11 *
Lisbon
$63 451% $52
Clothing & Footwear
Ipswich
- *
Lisbon
$166

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,026 in Ipswich 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 161% higher in Ipswich, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Ipswich versus $61.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $384 vs $269 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇦🇺 Ipswich
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
03:20 3:20 AM
18:20 6:20 PM
9 h behind Ipswich
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
229,208
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Ipswich Lisbon 17,930 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ipswich
  • 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
Ipswich vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lisbon cheaper than Ipswich?
Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,055 per month in Ipswich and $3,335 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Ipswich, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How do food prices compare in Ipswich and in Lisbon?
Interestingly, groceries are about 43% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.
Is eating out cheaper in Ipswich or in Lisbon?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Ipswich and $61.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Ipswich or in Lisbon?
A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ipswich, where all-in costs run around $2,037, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Ipswich it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Ipswich or Lisbon more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Ipswich – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Ipswich or 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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ipswich. 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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