Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bolton

For one person, living costs are similar in Lisbon and in Bolton: $2,210 and $2,245 a month, rent and utilities included.

Lisbon, Portugal
Bolton, United Kingdom
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Bolton
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,245
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Bolton

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $2,245 in Bolton, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Bolton $2,245

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $3,309 in Bolton, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Bolton $3,309

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $4,374 in Bolton, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Bolton $4,374

Lisbon and Bolton have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Lisbon and Bolton sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Bolton by 65%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Bolton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$20.30 £15.16
-17.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$88.4 £66.0
-30.13%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$10.81 £8.08
5.09%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$5.10 £3.81
-41.76%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.44 £1.82
-6.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.77 £1.32
-1.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$7.45 £5.56
-54.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$6.47 £4.84
-48.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Bolton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.69 £1.26
-31.36%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.51 £1.13
26.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$1.88 £1.40
-19.68%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$4.14 £3.10
-2.90%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$9.76 £7.29
32.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$8.98 £6.71
-13.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$15.83 £11.82
12.19%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$3.11 £2.32
-26.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.94 £1.45
-10.82%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$3.07 £2.30
-39.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$3.45 £2.58
-24.93%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.50 £1.12
21.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.68 £1.25
17.26%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.21 £0.91
21.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.24 £0.93
-41.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$24.01 £17.93
-72.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$10.78 £8.06
-47.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.48 £1.85
-45.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$3.08 £2.30
-30.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Bolton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$2.62 £1.96
-11.07%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
$49.24 £36.79
-9.26%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$3.93 £2.94
-2.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$2.11 £1.58
-49.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$24.25 £18.12
-32.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.15 £1.61
2.33%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$38.8K £29.0K
-11.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$41.1K £30.7K
-5.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Bolton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$248 £185
-34.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$16.34 £12.21
12.67%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$41.34 £30.89
-20.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Bolton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$78.1 £58.3
-42.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
$6.59 £4.92
189.83%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$13.28 £9.92
-27.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Bolton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$1,444 £1,079
-53.76%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$19.9K £14.9K
-11.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Bolton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$83.8 £62.6
21.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$42.99 £32.12
3.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$91.5 £68.3
7.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$88.4 £66.0
39.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Bolton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$1,245 £930
29.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$997 £745
19.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$1,968 £1,471
42.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$1,580 £1,180
27.45%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Bolton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$4,135 £3,089
-61.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
4.99
-22.85%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bolton: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Bolton
$998 16.2% $193
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Bolton
$302 10.9% $30
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Bolton
$323 33.1% $80
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Bolton
$305 43.8% $93
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Bolton
$138 16.8% $28
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Bolton
$105 64.2% $41
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Bolton
$74 17.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,245 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 in Bolton are about 2.6 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $88 in Bolton. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $302 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇧 Bolton
🕒 Local time
05:35 5:35 AM
05:35 5:35 AM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
139,403
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Bolton 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Bolton

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 Bolton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $3,367 in Bolton. 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 Bolton, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,245 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
How do food prices compare in Lisbon and in Bolton?
Groceries cost about 11% more in Bolton, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Lisbon and $1,444 in Bolton. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough for either Lisbon or Bolton?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,245 in Bolton, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Lisbon or in Bolton?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,210 in Lisbon to $2,245 in Bolton. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Lisbon or Bolton?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bolton makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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