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: $2,322 in Lisbon versus $1,843 in Cambridge.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,409 in Lisbon versus $2,847 in Cambridge.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Lisbon versus $3,852 in Cambridge.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 26% more expensive than in Cambridge, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Cambridge 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €14.63

$14.70 NZ$24.68

16.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.1 €54.8

$34.74 NZ$58.3

84.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €10.02

$8.92 NZ$14.99

31.28%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.69

$2.91 NZ$4.88

7.90%

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

$2.51 €2.14

$2.06 NZ$3.46

21.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.42

$1.98 NZ$3.33

-16.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.51 €3.01

$4.69 NZ$7.88

-25.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 €2.88

$7.14 NZ$11.99

-52.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €0.99

$1.65 NZ$2.77

-29.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.73

$2.22 NZ$3.72

-9.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.58 €1.35

$1.88 NZ$3.15

-15.96%

Eggs

$4.05 €3.46

$6.28 NZ$10.55

-35.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.81 €10.96

$8.63 NZ$14.50

48.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.02 €6.86

$9.99 NZ$16.77

-19.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.03 €14.57

$13.66 NZ$22.94

24.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 €2.03

$2.61 NZ$4.39

-8.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.17 NZ$3.64

-15.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.42 NZ$4.07

-17.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.67 €2.28

$3.00 NZ$5.04

-11.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$2.20 NZ$3.69

-13.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.73 NZ$2.91

13.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.23

$2.08 NZ$3.50

-31.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.78

$1.18 NZ$1.99

-22.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.84

$28.59 NZ$48.01

-76.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.73 €4.90

$10.41 NZ$17.47

-44.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.69 NZ$4.52

-50.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.83

$3.36 NZ$5.65

-36.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.05

$1.74 NZ$2.92

37.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.94 €39.30

$78.8 NZ$132

-41.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 €3.63

$2.33 NZ$3.91

82.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.11 €0.95

$2.05 NZ$3.44

-45.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.99 €15.39

$33.21 NZ$55.8

-45.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.88

$1.63 NZ$2.74

34.97%

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

$35.2K €30.1K

$26.6K NZ$44.6K

32.55%

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

$40.0K €34.2K

$24.0K NZ$40.3K

66.82%

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

$171 €146

$107 NZ$179

60.40%

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

$19.61 €16.78

$28.20 NZ$47.35

-30.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.19 €28.39

$38.37 NZ$64.4

-13.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.96 €41.02

$43.58 NZ$73.2

10.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.88 €17.01

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 €8.66

$13.61 NZ$22.86

-25.64%

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

$700 €599

$1,204 NZ$2,023

-41.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €14.8K

$21.4K NZ$36.0K

-19.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €93.4

$78.9 NZ$133

38.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.84 €40.92

$44.17 NZ$74.2

8.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 €90.9

$91.2 NZ$153

16.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 €108

$116 NZ$195

8.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,708 €1,461

$952 NZ$1,598

79.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 €1,082

$845 NZ$1,420

49.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,973 €2,543

$1,567 NZ$2,632

89.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,000 €1,711

$1,553 NZ$2,608

28.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,013 €6,855

$4,919 NZ$8,260

62.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,525 €3,871

$3,470 NZ$5,827

30.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,663 €1,422

$2,730 NZ$4,584

-39.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.73

5.33

-30.02%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 15, 2026

Last update for Cambridge: August 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,708 in Lisbon and $952 in Cambridge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $35.00 in Cambridge. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $313, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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. The 26% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 64% 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: $1,708 in Lisbon versus $952 in Cambridge. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,322 per month in Lisbon versus $1,843 in Cambridge – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cambridge runs roughly 71% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,843 in Cambridge versus $2,322 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 26% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.