Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ashford

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,427 in Ashford, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Ashford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,427
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Ashford

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,427 in Ashford.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Ashford $2,427

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $3,351 in Ashford.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Ashford $3,351

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $4,276 in Ashford.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Ashford $4,276

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 8% less than in Ashford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Ashford 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Ashford
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$20.96 £15.73
-21.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$79.9 £60.0
-23.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$10.49 £7.87
7.44%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$5.74 £4.30
-46.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.74 £2.05
-17.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$1.82 £1.37
-4.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$3.89 £2.92
-12.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$7.09 £5.32
-52.05%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Ashford
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.48 £1.11
-24.32%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.32 £0.99
40.91%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.69 £1.26
-9.47%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$3.00 £2.25
32.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$5.22 £3.92
144.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$6.91 £5.18
14.33%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$14.39 £10.79
17.93%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$3.28 £2.46
-30.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.44 £1.08
21.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.67 £2.01
-30.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$3.17 £2.38
-18.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.67 £1.25
11.38%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.46 £1.09
38.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.44 £1.08
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$1.42 £1.07
-42.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$18.83 £14.13
-65.16%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$9.24 £6.93
-39.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$2.67 £2.00
-52.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$3.63 £2.73
-42.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Ashford
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$3.89 £2.92
-39.59%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
$146 £110
-69.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$6.11 £4.58
-34.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.68 £1.26
-35.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$21.44 £16.08
-22.39%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.07 £1.55
10.14%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$35.0K £26.2K
-3.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$41.1K £30.9K
-4.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Ashford
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$244 £183
-31.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$24.30 £18.23
-22.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$38.52 £28.90
-14.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Ashford
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$61.3 £45.99
-24.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
$18.74 £14.06
2.40%
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$21.45 £16.10
-54.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Ashford
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$1,076 £808
-37.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$19.8K £14.9K
-14.62%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Ashford
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$69.5 £52.1
45.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$31.50 £23.63
45.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$76.7 £57.6
30.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$100 £75.1
22.62%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Ashford
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$1,115 £836
44.79%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$1,133 £850
5.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$1,708 £1,282
67.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$1,425 £1,069
39.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
$6,328 £4,748
19.73%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
$4,671 £3,504
-7.79%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Ashford
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$2,452 £1,840
-35.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
4.91
-21.59%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ashford: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Ashford
$1.1K 5.4% $64
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Ashford
$262 2.9% $7.9
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Ashford
$320 32.1% $78
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Ashford
$307 39.7% $87
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Ashford
$125 24.9% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Ashford
$104 58.7% $39
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Ashford
$176 180% $113

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $1,115 in Ashford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ashford pays 54% 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: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $80.0 in Ashford. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $262, with Ashford cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇧 Ashford
🕒 Local time
05:26 5:26 AM
05:26 5:26 AM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
58,936
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Ashford 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Ashford

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
Lisbon vs Ashford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ashford cheaper than Lisbon?
Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, leisure, and transport. The 9% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Lisbon or Ashford?
On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Ashford. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Lisbon and Ashford?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $1,115 in Ashford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Lisbon or in Ashford?
Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $80.0 in Ashford. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Lisbon and in Ashford?
All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $2,427 in Ashford – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Lisbon or in Ashford?
At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,427 in Ashford, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Ashford. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Lisbon or Ashford more family-friendly?
For families, Lisbon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ashford, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Lisbon or Ashford?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Ashford are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Ashford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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