Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dover Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dover

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,316 per month in Lisbon vs $2,264 in Dover, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,361 per month in Lisbon vs $3,229 in Dover, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,405 per month in Lisbon vs $4,195 in Dover, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 2% more than Dover, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both Lisbon and Dover sit above the global median – Lisbon by 69%, Dover by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$21.43 £15.84

-19.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$67.5 £49.89

-6.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$10.91 £8.06

4.40%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$4.38 £3.24

-27.17%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$2.44 £1.80

0.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.39 £1.02

26.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$4.14 £3.06

-13.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$4.22 £3.12

-19.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.48 £1.10

-16.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.06 £0.78

86.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.71 £1.26

-11.11%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$3.39 £2.51

19.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$9.97 £7.37

35.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$7.86 £5.81

6.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$15.13 £11.18

20.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.19 £2.36

-28.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.42 £1.05

22.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.80 £2.07

-33.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$3.31 £2.45

-20.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.71 £1.26

12.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.50 £1.11

39.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.32 £0.98

9.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.78 £0.58

7.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$24.50 £18.11

-72.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$10.97 £8.11

-47.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.71 £2.00

-49.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.64 £2.69

-39.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$4.01 £2.96

-40.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$109 £80.8

-57.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$5.33 £3.94

-21.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.35 £0.99

-15.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$21.60 £15.97

-18.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.95 £1.44

18.97%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$39.0K £28.8K

-9.35%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$41.1K £30.4K

0.93%

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

$170 €146

$254 £188

-32.88%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$18.85 £13.94

2.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$39.95 £29.53

-15.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$47.47 £35.09

1.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$27.13 £20.06

-26.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$12.98 £9.59

-23.57%

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

$717 €617

$1,063 £786

-32.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$20.6K £15.2K

-15.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$71.3 £52.7

46.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$28.89 £21.36

62.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$80.3 £59.4

28.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$52.4 £38.75

136.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$1,151 £851

45.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$1,001 £740

27.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,814 £1,341

64.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$1,599 £1,182

24.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$5,392 £3,986

45.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$3,353 £2,479

38.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$2,857 £2,112

-44.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

4.91

-22.81%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Dover: September 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,677 in Lisbon versus $1,151 in Dover. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 81% higher in Dover, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon versus $67.0 in Dover. Groceries tell a different story – $283 in Lisbon vs $278 in Dover – so Dover wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

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 Dover: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 2%, and the gap shows up most in Getting Around. It's not just housing either; the difference applies across most spending categories.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,474 per month in Lisbon and $3,396 in Dover. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dover, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $717 per month in Lisbon and $1,063 in Dover. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 2% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Dover, where all-in costs run around $2,264, than in Lisbon at $2,316. In Dover it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Dover – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Dover. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.