Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Belfast Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Belfast

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,365 in Belfast.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $3,449 in Belfast.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $4,533 in Belfast.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 3% less than in Belfast, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Belfast 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$23.31 £17.42

-24.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$98.0 £73.2

-35.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$10.90 £8.15

6.24%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.75 £3.55

-34.74%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.80 £2.09

-11.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.96 £1.46

-11.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$8.26 £6.17

-57.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$7.87 £5.88

-56.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.87 £1.40

-38.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.43 £1.82

-21.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.71 £2.03

-44.65%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$4.58 £3.42

-13.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$11.10 £8.30

19.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$11.21 £8.37

-28.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$16.40 £12.26

10.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.33 £2.49

-29.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.01 £1.50

-12.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$3.40 £2.54

-45.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$4.03 £3.01

-36.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.33 £1.74

-21.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.57 £1.17

33.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.41 £1.05

5.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.87 £1.40

-56.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$23.90 £17.86

-70.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$12.23 £9.14

-51.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.80 £2.09

-53.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.13 £2.34

-31.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$3.07 £2.30

-23.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$102 £76.3

-54.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$4.77 £3.57

-14.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.51 £1.13

-24.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$19.88 £14.86

-14.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.05 £1.53

12.68%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$38.6K £28.9K

-11.66%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$42.2K £31.5K

-1.85%

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

$169 €147

$254 £190

-33.57%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$24.85 £18.57

-22.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$46.43 £34.70

-27.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$48.40 £36.17

0.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$10.78 £8.06

80.24%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$14.70 £10.98

-34.90%

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

$696 €607

$1,407 £1,051

-50.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$18.1K £13.5K

-4.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$82.6 £61.7

27.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$47.49 £35.49

0.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$107 £79.9

-5.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$104 £77.9

19.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$1,181 £882

40.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$945 £706

31.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,942 £1,451

52.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,431 £1,069

43.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$4,268 £3,190

83.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$2,566 £1,918

73.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$3,291 £2,459

-50.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.91

-23.01%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Belfast: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,181 in Belfast. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Belfast pays 102% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $98.0 in Belfast for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $356 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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 Belfast: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 102% lower in Belfast. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,181 in Belfast. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $1,407 in Belfast. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Belfast. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,365 in Belfast, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Belfast. 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 Belfast, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Belfast 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 3% less than in Belfast. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.