Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Carlton Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Carlton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,323 in Carlton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $3,397 in Carlton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $4,472 in Carlton.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 1% less than in Carlton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Carlton 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$17.97 A$25.34

-2.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$72.4 A$102

-13.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$10.42 A$14.69

11.13%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.08 A$4.34

0.65%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.64 A$3.73

-5.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$2.18 A$3.07

-20.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$6.89 A$9.72

-49.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$6.64 A$9.36

-48.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.31 A$1.85

-12.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.04 A$2.88

-6.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.39 A$1.97

7.91%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.39 A$4.78

17.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$10.93 A$15.42

21.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$9.66 A$13.63

-17.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$15.48 A$21.83

16.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.35 A$4.73

-29.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.83 A$3.99

-38.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$3.29 A$4.65

-43.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$4.75 A$6.70

-46.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.49 A$3.51

-26.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.22 A$3.13

-5.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$2.23 A$3.14

-33.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.87 A$1.23

-5.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$25.25 A$35.61

-71.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$10.64 A$15.01

-44.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$5.54 A$7.81

-76.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$5.31 A$7.49

-59.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$3.25 A$4.59

-27.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$84.6 A$119

-44.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$3.67 A$5.17

11.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.27 A$1.79

-10.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$27.37 A$38.60

-37.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.39 A$1.96

66.19%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$18.2K A$25.7K

87.51%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$14.3K A$20.2K

188.49%

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

$169 €147

$94.9 A$134

77.68%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$28.80 A$40.62

-32.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$47.15 A$66.5

-28.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$31.89 A$44.97

53.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$18.60 A$26.23

4.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$13.32 A$18.78

-28.15%

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

$696 €607

$2,163 A$3,050

-67.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$13.1K A$18.5K

32.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$81.0 A$114

29.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$52.4 A$73.9

-8.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$72.7 A$103

38.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$135 A$190

-7.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$1,455 A$2,052

14.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$1,275 A$1,798

-2.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$2,278 A$3,212

30.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,846 A$2,604

10.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$6,371 A$8,985

22.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$4,980 A$7,023

-10.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$5,844 A$8,242

-72.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.87

-35.60%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Carlton: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,455 in Carlton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carlton pays 258% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $72.0 in Carlton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $342 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 Carlton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Carlton differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $2,323 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 258% lower in Carlton. 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,455 in Carlton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $2,163 in Carlton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Carlton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Carlton 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 1% less than in Carlton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.