Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Buckingham Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Buckingham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,247 in Buckingham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,448 in Buckingham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,650 in Buckingham.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 2% less than in Buckingham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Buckingham 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$20.34 £15.15

-21.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$82.4 £61.4

-21.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$11.02 £8.21

-4.63%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.75 £3.54

-39.58%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.91 £1.42

17.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.39 £1.03

7.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$5.45 £4.06

-35.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$5.32 £3.96

-27.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.15 £0.86

-0.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.54 £1.15

13.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.11 £1.57

-16.59%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$4.28 £3.19

-24.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$10.11 £7.53

33.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.29 £5.43

8.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$15.33 £11.42

3.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.26 £2.43

-29.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.72 £1.28

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.91 £2.17

-30.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.51 £1.87

-1.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.91 £0.68

102.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.67 £1.25

19.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.08 £0.80

78.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.59 £1.19

-50.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$16.04 £11.95

-58.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$10.74 £8.00

-46.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.63 £1.96

-47.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.00 £1.49

48.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.76 £2.05

-14.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$88.4 £65.9

-48.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.00 £2.98

7.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.35 £1.01

-39.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$25.97 £19.35

-29.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.97 £1.46

4.57%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$39.1K £29.1K

-12.34%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$41.9K £31.2K

-6.25%

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

$148 €127

$263 £196

-43.82%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$17.15 £12.77

19.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$35.65 £26.56

11.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$13.67 £10.18

250.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$12.19 £9.09

-24.69%

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

$614 €529

$1,410 £1,050

-56.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$13.8K £10.3K

16.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$74.2 £55.3

40.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$36.12 £26.91

16.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$70.5 £52.5

33.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$92.1 £68.6

29.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$1,470 £1,095

10.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$1,051 £783

19.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$3,406 £2,538

-11.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$2,043 £1,522

-1.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$4,938 £3,679

57.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$4,608 £3,433

-65.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.79

-34.20%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Buckingham: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,470 in Buckingham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buckingham pays 187% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $82.0 in Buckingham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $284 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 Buckingham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Buckingham differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,247 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Buckingham earns 187% less. 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,470 in Buckingham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $2,247 in Buckingham – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 94% less than in Buckingham. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,247 in Buckingham, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Buckingham. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Buckingham 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 2% less than in Buckingham. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.