Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Basildon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,374 in Basildon, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Basildon, United Kingdom
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Basildon
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,374
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Basildon

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 Basildon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $2,374 in Basildon, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Basildon $2,374

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $3,407 in Basildon, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Basildon $3,407

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $4,441 in Basildon, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Basildon $4,441

Lisbon is about 7% cheaper than Basildon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lisbon and Basildon sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Basildon by 74%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Basildon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$20.45 £15.39
-18.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$59.5 £44.78
3.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$9.14 £6.88
24.29%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$4.76 £3.59
-37.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$3.21 £2.41
-28.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.57 £1.18
10.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$6.78 £5.10
-49.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$3.92 £2.95
-15.56%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Basildon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.32 £0.99
-12.12%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$2.10 £1.58
-9.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$1.52 £1.14
-0.66%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$4.05 £3.04
-0.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$8.53 £6.42
51.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$4.63 £3.48
67.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$11.84 £8.91
50.00%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$3.14 £2.36
-26.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$1.30 £0.98
33.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$1.99 £1.50
-6.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$3.26 £2.45
-20.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$1.56 £1.17
16.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.85 £1.39
6.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.06 £0.80
38.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.18 £0.89
-38.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$20.22 £15.22
-67.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$10.71 £8.06
-47.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.34 £1.76
-41.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$1.63 £1.22
31.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Basildon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$2.68 £2.02
-13.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$67.6 £50.9
-33.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$5.30 £3.99
-27.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.93 £1.45
13.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$38.2K £28.7K
-10.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$40.3K £30.3K
-3.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Basildon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$284 £214
-43.20%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$13.36 £10.05
37.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$35.04 £26.37
-6.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Basildon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$44.46 £33.46
0.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$27.04 £20.35
-29.36%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$14.08 £10.60
-31.82%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Basildon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$2,229 £1,678
-70.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$29.2K £22.0K
-39.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Basildon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$75.6 £56.9
34.89%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$52.4 £39.44
-15.17%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$54.3 £40.87
81.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$52.8 £39.73
134.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Basildon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$1,677 £1,262
-4.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$1,219 £918
-2.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$2,358 £1,775
19.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$2,012 £1,514
0.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$5,273 £3,968
48.67%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$3,358 £2,527
36.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Basildon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$2,893 £2,178
-45.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.4
-28.70%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Basildon: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Basildon
$1.2K 2.4% $29
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Basildon
$252 7.6% $21
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Basildon
$309 27.4% $66
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Basildon
$332 56.5% $120
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Basildon
$106 36.2% $60
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Basildon
$73 13.9% $8.9
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Basildon
$84 * 32.4% $20

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,677 in Basildon. 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 84% higher in Basildon. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $59 in Basildon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $252 – making Basildon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇧 Basildon
🕒 Local time
17:40 5:40 PM
17:40 5:40 PM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
184,479
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Basildon 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Basildon

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 Basildon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Basildon?
Basildon costs about 7% 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 Lisbon and in Basildon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $3,561 in Basildon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lisbon compared to Basildon?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,677 in Basildon. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How much does it cost to live in Lisbon compared to Basildon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,374 in Basildon. That’s a gap of about 7%.
How expensive is transport in Lisbon compared to Basildon?
Public transport costs about 34% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Lisbon or in Basildon?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,374 in Basildon, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Which city is better for families?
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.
How safe is Lisbon compared to Basildon?
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 Lisbon or to Basildon?
If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Basildon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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