Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bolton Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bolton

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,258 per month in Lisbon vs $2,389 in Bolton, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,328 per month in Lisbon vs $3,344 in Bolton, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,397 per month in Lisbon vs $4,299 in Bolton, rent included.

Lisbon is about 5% cheaper than Bolton, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Lisbon and Bolton sit above the global median – Lisbon by 68%, Bolton by 77%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.46

$20.53 £15.21

-22.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.8

$80.7 £59.8

-20.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.82

$10.38 £7.69

-0.10%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$4.80 £3.56

-39.79%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$2.30 £1.71

-3.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$1.60 £1.19

-3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.88

$6.98 £5.17

-51.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.32

$5.52 £4.09

-29.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.68 £1.25

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$1.72 £1.27

4.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.25 £1.67

-22.22%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.70

$4.07 £3.01

-22.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.49

$10.40 £7.71

29.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.63

$8.34 £6.18

-6.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.32

$16.87 £12.50

-7.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$3.21 £2.38

-28.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.83 £1.36

-6.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$3.11 £2.31

-37.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$3.71 £2.75

-32.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$1.82 £1.35

-1.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$1.83 £1.36

12.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.65

$1.33 £0.98

45.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.50 £1.11

-46.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.66

$18.59 £13.78

-64.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.92

$10.33 £7.66

-43.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.52 £1.87

-47.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$2.40 £1.78

21.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.00

$2.76 £2.05

-14.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.89

$88.0 £65.2

-48.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.58

$5.29 £3.92

-20.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.15 £0.85

-29.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.91

$16.14 £11.96

15.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.88 £1.39

11.17%

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

$34.6K €29.5K

$39.0K £28.9K

-11.27%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$42.2K £31.3K

-6.00%

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

$146 €124

$299 £222

-51.25%

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

$20.84 €17.73

$17.25 £12.78

20.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.85

$43.30 £32.09

-8.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.35

$47.43 £35.15

2.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.04

$27.52 £20.39

-31.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.72

$13.53 £10.03

-32.96%

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

$618 €526

$1,546 £1,146

-60.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$13.3K £9,877

21.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.0

$81.5 £60.4

28.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.50

$42.71 £31.65

-5.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.8

$86.2 £63.9

8.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$81.7 £60.6

49.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,365

$1,199 £889

33.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,073

$1,080 £801

16.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,608

$1,719 £1,274

78.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,499 £1,110

34.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,555

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,716

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,394

$4,335 £3,212

-62.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.8

-34.31%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Bolton: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Lisbon versus $1,199 in Bolton. 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 165% higher in Bolton, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $64 in Lisbon versus $81 in Bolton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $311 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bolton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bolton is pricier by about 6%, and the gap shows up most in Eating Out. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,387 per month in Lisbon and $3,583 in Bolton. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Public transport costs about 93% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $618 per month in Lisbon and $1,546 in Bolton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,258, than in Bolton at $2,389. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bolton it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bolton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.