Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dartford

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,939 in Dartford, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Dartford, United Kingdom
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Dartford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,939
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Dartford

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $2,939 in Dartford, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Dartford $2,939

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $4,203 in Dartford, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Dartford $4,203

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $5,467 in Dartford, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Dartford $5,467

Lisbon is about 25% cheaper than Dartford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lisbon and Dartford sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Dartford by 116%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Dartford
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.85
$23.91 £17.83
-30.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.1
$107 £80.1
-42.54%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.13
$10.54 £7.86
7.78%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.65
$4.82 £3.60
-38.38%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.04
$2.96 £2.21
-22.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.75 £1.30
-0.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.04
$7.17 £5.35
-52.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.95
$6.81 £5.08
-51.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Dartford
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.03
$1.58 £1.18
-26.58%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.99 £1.49
-4.02%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$2.44 £1.82
-38.11%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.59
$4.15 £3.09
-3.13%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.54
$8.64 £6.44
49.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.94
$10.04 £7.48
-22.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.85
$16.28 £12.14
9.09%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$3.05 £2.28
-24.59%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.48 £1.10
16.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.71 £2.02
-31.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.31
$3.35 £2.50
-22.69%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.46 £1.09
24.66%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.83 £1.36
7.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.44 £1.07
2.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.98 £0.73
-26.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.87
$23.28 £17.36
-71.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.00
$10.73 £8.00
-47.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.28 £1.70
-40.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.44 £1.82
-12.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Dartford
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.08
$2.80 £2.08
-16.79%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €39.86
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.43
$5.43 £4.05
-29.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.95
$3.39 £2.53
-68.44%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.69
$57.1 £42.56
-71.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.96
$2.00 £1.49
10.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.5K
$38.1K £28.4K
-10.34%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.5K
$40.8K £30.4K
-5.11%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Dartford
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$285 £212
-43.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.43
$16.52 £12.32
11.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.21
$39.69 £29.59
-17.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Dartford
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.74
$44.44 £33.14
0.25%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.04
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.56
$19.41 £14.47
-50.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Dartford
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €596
$2,229 £1,662
-70.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$29.8K £22.2K
-40.97%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Dartford
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.0
$54.1 £40.30
88.75%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.67
$24.07 £17.95
84.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €87.9
$90.1 £67.1
9.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €110
$95.2 £71.0
29.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Dartford
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,435
$2,235 £1,666
-28.03%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,062
$1,711 £1,276
-30.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,509
$2,951 £2,200
-4.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,796
$2,655 £1,980
-24.18%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €6,994
$5,354 £3,991
46.43%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,082
$4,479 £3,339
2.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Dartford
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,405
$4,472 £3,334
-64.78%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
4.79
-19.62%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Dartford: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Dartford
$1.7K 43.8% $521
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Dartford
$302 10.9% $30
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Dartford
$349 43.9% $107
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Dartford
$341 60.6% $129
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Dartford
$119 28.6% $47
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Dartford
$83 30.6% $20
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Dartford
$34 * 46.9% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $2,235 in Dartford. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Dartford are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $107 in Dartford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $302 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇧 Dartford
🕒 Local time
13:10 1:10 PM
13:10 1:10 PM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
51,240
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.746 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.832 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Dartford 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Dartford

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 Dartford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lisbon cheaper than Dartford?
Yes – Dartford is pricier by about 33%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $4,408 in Dartford. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,608 there versus $2,235 in Dartford.
Is eating out cheaper in Lisbon or in Dartford?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $107 in Dartford. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How do food prices compare in Lisbon and in Dartford?
Groceries cost about 11% more in Dartford, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is Lisbon or Dartford more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Lisbon or Dartford?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Dartford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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