Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cambridge Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cambridge

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,203 in Lisbon versus $2,082 in Cambridge.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,237 in Lisbon versus $2,855 in Cambridge.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $3,627 in Cambridge.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 6% more expensive than in Cambridge, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Cambridge 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.01 €15.12

$14.02 NZ$24.93

21.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.7 €55.7

$66.4 NZ$118

-5.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €10.14

$8.76 NZ$15.57

30.37%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.74

$3.40 NZ$6.05

-9.12%

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

$2.37 €2.10

$2.00 NZ$3.55

18.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.47

$1.92 NZ$3.41

-13.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 €3.07

$6.01 NZ$10.68

-42.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 €2.92

$6.68 NZ$11.87

-50.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.58 NZ$2.80

-25.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 €1.66

$2.23 NZ$3.97

-16.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.81 NZ$3.22

-16.02%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.44

$6.22 NZ$11.05

-37.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 €11.44

$8.64 NZ$15.36

48.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 €7.05

$9.43 NZ$16.76

-15.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 €15.66

$12.74 NZ$22.65

38.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.00

$2.55 NZ$4.53

-11.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$2.19 NZ$3.90

-19.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$2.91 NZ$5.17

-35.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$5.74 NZ$10.20

-56.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.15 NZ$3.83

-13.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.51 NZ$2.69

37.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.24

$2.28 NZ$4.05

-39.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.72

$1.09 NZ$1.94

-25.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 €6.12

$25.82 NZ$45.91

-73.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 €4.91

$10.13 NZ$18.02

-45.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$3.40 NZ$6.04

-60.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.92

$3.81 NZ$6.77

-43.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €1.99

$2.72 NZ$4.83

-17.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.14 €40.11

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 €3.55

$2.21 NZ$3.93

81.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$2.02 NZ$3.58

-47.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.53 €14.68

$32.15 NZ$57.2

-48.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.67 NZ$2.97

35.33%

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

$33.5K €29.8K

$25.2K NZ$44.8K

33.02%

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

$40.5K €36.0K

$22.2K NZ$39.5K

82.24%

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

$164 €145

$100 NZ$178

63.33%

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

$18.54 €16.47

$26.80 NZ$47.65

-30.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 €29.50

$50.0 NZ$89.0

-33.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.88

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 €16.71

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 €8.41

$14.00 NZ$24.88

-32.36%

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

$690 €613

$665 NZ$1,183

3.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.0K

$19.4K NZ$34.4K

-12.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €93.0

$62.6 NZ$111

67.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 €40.22

$37.22 NZ$66.2

21.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 €87.9

$94.6 NZ$168

4.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €110

$103 NZ$184

19.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,406

$573 NZ$1,019

176.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,074

$1,107 NZ$1,967

9.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,833 €2,517

$1,197 NZ$2,128

136.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,964 €1,745

$1,449 NZ$2,577

35.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,643 €6,790

$4,500 NZ$8,001

69.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,431 €3,936

$3,934 NZ$6,995

12.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,573 €1,397

$2,567 NZ$4,564

-38.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

-36.83%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 4, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: October 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Lisbon and $573 in Cambridge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $66.0 in Cambridge for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $324 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 Cambridge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cambridge is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 6% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 63% lower in Cambridge. 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: $1,583 in Lisbon versus $573 in Cambridge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $690 in Lisbon versus $665 in Cambridge. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Cambridge – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,082 in Cambridge versus $2,203 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cambridge but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Cambridge the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Cambridge is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Cambridge 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 Cambridge gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.