Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the Isle of Islay and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,352 on the Isle of Islay, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher on the Isle of Islay despite lower rent and utilities.

Isle of Islay
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,352
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend on the Isle of Islay and in Lisbon

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

A single person spends $2,352 per month on the Isle of Islay vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Isle of Islay $2,352
  • Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $3,353 per month on the Isle of Islay vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Isle of Islay $3,353
  • Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $4,354 per month on the Isle of Islay vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Isle of Islay $4,354
  • Lisbon $4,346

Isle of Islay costs about 7% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Isle of Islay and Lisbon sit above the global median – Isle of Islay by 74%, Lisbon by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Isle of Islay
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$21.60 £16.21
$17.04 €15.15
26.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.4 £61.1
$62.3 €55.4
30.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.60 £7.95
$11.02 €9.80
-3.81%
Cappuccino
$4.48 £3.36
$3.12 €2.78
43.59%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 £1.86
$2.27 €2.02
9.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.32 £0.99
$1.74 €1.55
-24.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.83 £4.37
$3.42 €3.04
70.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.01 £4.51
$3.74 €3.33
60.70%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Isle of Islay
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.03 £1.52
$1.17 €1.04
73.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.75 £1.32
$1.86 €1.66
-5.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.74 £2.06
$1.54 €1.37
77.92%
Eggs
$5.41 £4.06
$4.06 €3.61
33.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.39 £5.54
$12.91 €11.49
-42.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.52 £7.14
$7.90 €7.03
20.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.36 £11.53
$17.64 €15.69
-12.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.50 £1.88
$2.26 €2.01
10.62%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 £1.65
$1.75 €1.55
25.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.82 £2.12
$1.89 €1.68
49.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.87 £2.15
$2.56 €2.27
12.11%
Potato (1kg)
$3.06 £2.29
$1.85 €1.64
65.41%
Onion (1kg)
$2.11 £1.58
$1.97 €1.75
7.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.86 £1.40
$1.45 €1.29
28.28%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.43 £1.82
$0.77 €0.69
215.58%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.79 £17.85
$6.71 €5.97
254.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.03 £9.03
$5.67 €5.04
112.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.26 £2.44
$1.37 €1.22
137.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 £2.41
$2.11 €1.88
52.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Isle of Islay
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.50 £2.62
$2.32 €2.07
50.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$98.1 £73.6
$44.43 €39.52
120.73%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.75 £3.56
$3.95 €3.51
20.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.79 £2.84
$1.05 €0.93
260.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.58 £19.94
$17.15 €15.26
54.99%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.07 £1.55
$2.19 €1.95
-5.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5K £28.9K
$33.8K €30.0K
14.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.4K £30.3K
$38.3K €34.0K
5.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Isle of Islay
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$238 £178
$164 €146
45.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.09 £9.82
$18.48 €16.43
-29.17%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$42.21 £31.67
$32.96 €29.32
28.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Isle of Islay
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.82 £32.88
$45.87 €40.80
-4.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.68 €16.61
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.44 £10.08
$9.75 €8.67
37.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Isle of Islay
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,918 £1,439
$684 €608
180.44%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.8K £18.6K
$17.6K €15.7K
40.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Isle of Islay
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$100 £75.1
$104 €92.3
-3.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$57.6 £43.19
$46.20 €41.09
24.61%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$121 £90.9
$99.7 €88.7
21.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$87.1 £65.4
$125 €111
-30.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Isle of Islay
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 £955
$1,589 €1,414
-19.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,039 £779
$1,169 €1,040
-11.13%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,126 £1,595
$2,851 €2,536
-25.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,449 £1,087
$1,993 €1,773
-27.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,528 £4,147
$7,793 €6,932
-29.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,409 £2,558
$4,418 €3,930
-22.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Isle of Islay
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,600 €1,423
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.41
3.85
40.52%

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

Last update for the Isle of Islay: 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
Isle of Islay
$1K
Lisbon
$1.2K 12.5% $130
Groceries & Markets
Isle of Islay
$334
Lisbon
$273 18.3% $61
Eating Out
Isle of Islay
$315
Lisbon
$247 21.4% $67
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Isle of Islay
$293
Lisbon
$215 26.5% $78
Clothing & Footwear
Isle of Islay
$165
Lisbon
$168 2.3% $3.8
Getting Around
Isle of Islay
$136
Lisbon
$63 53.6% $73
Sport & Entertainment
Isle of Islay
$71
Lisbon
$65 7.5% $5.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,272 on the Isle of Islay 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 $81.0 on the Isle of Islay versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $273 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Isle of Islay
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
16:11 4:11 PM
16:11 4:11 PM
Same time as the Isle of Islay
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
3,457
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 23, 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 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Isle of Islay Lisbon 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Isle of Islay
  • 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
Isle of Islay vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lisbon cheaper than the Isle of Islay?
Yes – Isle of Islay is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in transport.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,528 per month on the Isle of Islay and $3,302 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 Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Is eating out cheaper on the Isle of Islay or in Lisbon?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $81.0 on the Isle of Islay and $62.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses on the Isle of Islay and in Lisbon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,352 on the Isle of Islay and $2,202 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 7%.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living on the Isle of Islay or in Lisbon?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,202, than on the Isle of Islay at $2,352. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while on the Isle of Islay it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Isle of Islay or Lisbon more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Isle of Islay 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 Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Isle of Islay makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Isle of Islay vs other spots: cost of living compared

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