Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bristol

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,883 in Bristol, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Bristol, United Kingdom
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Bristol
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,883
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Bristol

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,883 in Bristol.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Bristol $2,883

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $4,161 in Bristol.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Bristol $4,161

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $5,440 in Bristol.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Bristol $5,440

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 23% less than in Bristol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Bristol 112% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Bristol
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$23.78 £17.77
-29.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$114 £85.1
-45.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$10.82 £8.08
4.99%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$5.14 £3.84
-42.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.69 £2.01
-14.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.84 £1.38
-5.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$7.83 £5.85
-56.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$6.74 £5.04
-50.89%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Bristol
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.52 £1.14
-23.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.71 £1.28
11.70%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$2.10 £1.57
-28.10%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$4.25 £3.18
-5.41%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$8.15 £6.09
58.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$9.82 £7.34
-20.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$12.88 £9.62
37.89%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$3.22 £2.40
-28.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.76 £1.31
-1.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.70 £2.02
-31.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$4.13 £3.08
-37.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.07 £1.55
-12.08%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.45 £1.08
35.86%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.23 £0.92
19.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$2.02 £1.51
-64.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$23.31 £17.41
-71.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$10.57 £7.90
-46.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.89 £2.16
-52.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$3.65 £2.73
-41.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Bristol
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$3.40 £2.54
-31.47%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
$125 £93.2
-64.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$3.50 £2.62
10.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.62 £1.21
-33.95%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$26.41 £19.73
-37.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.17 £1.62
1.38%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$38.0K £28.4K
-9.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$40.0K £29.9K
-3.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Bristol
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$326 £244
-50.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$17.56 £13.12
4.84%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$38.06 £28.44
-13.98%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Bristol
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$41.92 £31.31
6.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
$11.75 £8.77
62.55%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$15.58 £11.64
-38.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Bristol
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$2,366 £1,767
-71.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$25.2K £18.8K
-30.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Bristol
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$100 £74.9
1.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$47.78 £35.69
-6.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$108 £80.4
-8.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$96.6 £72.1
28.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Bristol
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$1,963 £1,466
-18.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$1,455 £1,087
-18.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$3,048 £2,277
-7.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$2,225 £1,662
-9.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$7,040 £5,259
11.35%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$5,142 £3,841
-11.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Bristol
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$3,801 £2,839
-58.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
4.87
-20.94%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bristol: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Bristol
$1.5K 22.3% $265
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Bristol
$309 13.5% $37
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Bristol
$355 46.4% $113
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Bristol
$382 79.9% $170
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Bristol
$158 4.5% $7.5
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Bristol
$73 14.7% $9.3
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Bristol
$150 137% $87

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,963 in Bristol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bristol pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $114 in Bristol for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $309 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇧 Bristol
🕒 Local time
08:00 8:00 AM
08:00 8:00 AM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
463,400
💱 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 Bristol 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Bristol

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 Bristol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Bristol?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,883 in Bristol, so Lisbon is about 23% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 59% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Bristol?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,963 in Bristol. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 14% higher in Bristol. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $114 in Bristol. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Bristol?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Lisbon or Bristol safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Bristol are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Bristol?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Bristol. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

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