Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iqaluit, NU and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,950 in Iqaluit, NU, rent and utilities included – about $9,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Iqaluit, NU
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Iqaluit, NU Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Iqaluit, NU

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,950

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,950 in Iqaluit, NU versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Iqaluit, NU $2,950
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,618 in Iqaluit, NU versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Iqaluit, NU $4,618
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,286 in Iqaluit, NU versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Iqaluit, NU $6,286
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Iqaluit, NU is roughly 34% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Iqaluit, NU 118% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.52 CA$38.91

$17.04 €15.15

61.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 CA$91.6

$62.3 €55.4

4.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.90 CA$18.24

$11.02 €9.80

17.06%

Cappuccino

$7.04 CA$9.95

$3.12 €2.78

125.64%

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

$3.63 CA$5.14

$2.27 €2.02

59.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.31

$1.74 €1.55

-6.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.57 CA$9.29

$3.42 €3.04

92.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.82 CA$8.23

$3.74 €3.33

55.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 CA$3.41

$1.17 €1.04

106.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.52 CA$3.56

$1.86 €1.66

35.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 CA$4.78

$1.54 €1.37

119.48%

Eggs

$3.45 CA$4.88

$4.06 €3.61

-15.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.91 CA$14.01

$12.91 €11.49

-23.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.57 CA$19.19

$7.90 €7.03

71.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.93 CA$21.10

$17.64 €15.69

-15.36%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 CA$5.19

$2.26 €2.01

62.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 CA$1.80

$1.75 €1.55

-27.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.68 CA$5.20

$1.89 €1.68

94.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.87 CA$5.47

$2.56 €2.27

51.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 CA$3.43

$1.85 €1.64

30.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 CA$3.06

$1.97 €1.75

10.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$1.45 €1.29

69.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.26

$0.77 €0.69

107.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.78 CA$19.48

$6.71 €5.97

105.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.58 CA$17.79

$5.67 €5.04

121.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 CA$3.63

$1.37 €1.22

87.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 CA$4.45

$2.11 €1.88

49.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 CA$3.29

$2.32 €2.07

0.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 CA$86.7

$44.43 €39.52

38.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.43 CA$9.09

$3.95 €3.51

62.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 CA$2.08

$1.05 €0.93

40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.63 CA$36.23

$17.15 €15.26

49.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 CA$1.71

$2.19 €1.95

-44.75%

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

$37.2K CA$52.6K

$33.8K €30.0K

10.23%

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

$31.3K CA$44.3K

$38.3K €34.0K

-18.10%

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

$117 CA$166

$164 €146

-28.49%

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

$38.21 CA$54.0

$18.48 €16.43

106.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.4 CA$76.8

$32.96 €29.32

64.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.12 CA$58.1

$45.87 €40.80

-10.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.00 CA$25.45

$18.68 €16.61

-3.64%

Cinema Ticket

$7.98 CA$11.28

$9.75 €8.67

-18.15%

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

$698 CA$986

$684 €608

1.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K CA$18.7K

$17.6K €15.7K

-25.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.9 CA$74.8

$104 €92.3

-49.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.72 CA$54.7

$46.20 €41.09

-16.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.5 CA$120

$99.7 €88.7

-15.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 CA$146

$125 €111

-17.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 CA$2,593

$1,589 €1,414

15.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,701 CA$2,404

$1,169 €1,040

45.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,902 CA$4,103

$2,851 €2,536

1.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,459 CA$4,890

$1,993 €1,773

73.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,284 CA$6,056

$7,793 €6,932

-45.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,562 CA$5,035

$4,418 €3,930

-19.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,205 CA$5,944

$1,600 €1,423

162.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

3.85

38.18%

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

Last update for Iqaluit, NU: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Iqaluit, NU

$1.7K 57.6%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 31.3% $532

Eating Out

Iqaluit, NU

$409 13.9%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 39.5% $161

Groceries & Markets

Iqaluit, NU

$364 12.3%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 25% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iqaluit, NU

$210 7.1%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 2.6% $5.6

Clothing & Footwear

Iqaluit, NU

$126 4.3%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 34% $43

Getting Around

Iqaluit, NU

$84 2.9%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 25.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Iqaluit, NU

$57 1.9%

Lisbon

$65 3% 14.5% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,834 in Iqaluit, NU and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iqaluit, NU pays 163% 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: $65.0 in Iqaluit, NU vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Iqaluit, NU

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

10:24 10:24 AM

15:24 3:24 PM

5 h ahead of Iqaluit, NU

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Iqaluit, NU Lisbon 4,730 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Iqaluit, NU
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

Iqaluit, NU vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and utilities. The 34% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 163% higher in Iqaluit, NU, 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: $1,834 in Iqaluit, NU versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $698 in Iqaluit, NU versus $684 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 33% higher in Iqaluit, NU. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,950 in Iqaluit, NU, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Iqaluit, NU. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Iqaluit, NU 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 34% less than in Iqaluit, NU. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.