Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Durham Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Durham

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $2,071 in Durham.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $3,033 in Durham.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $3,995 in Durham.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 10% more expensive than in Durham, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Durham 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.74

$19.30 £14.44

-18.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.3

$95.7 £71.6

-33.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.11

$10.23 £7.65

2.15%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.54

$4.40 £3.29

-33.86%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.47 £1.84

-7.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.01 £1.50

-25.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.11

$6.24 £4.67

-42.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.46

$5.58 £4.17

-29.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.79 £1.34

-39.66%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.71 £1.28

2.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$2.45 £1.83

-30.61%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.83

$4.12 £3.08

-21.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.55

$9.27 £6.94

42.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.72

$8.35 £6.24

-7.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.75

$9.63 £7.20

63.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$3.69 £2.76

-38.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$2.28 £1.70

-27.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.76

$3.34 £2.50

-39.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.16

$3.49 £2.61

-29.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.56

$1.14 £0.86

57.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.80

$1.56 £1.17

32.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.99 £0.74

98.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.73

$1.73 £1.30

-52.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.71

$22.90 £17.13

-71.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.85

$10.82 £8.10

-48.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$3.12 £2.33

-57.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.62

$3.00 £2.24

0.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.98

$3.31 £2.48

-31.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.41

$54.9 £41.06

-15.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$4.87 £3.65

-13.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.54 £1.15

-44.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.41

$23.07 £17.26

-18.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.76

$2.00 £1.49

1.00%

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

$35.0K €30.5K

$36.6K £27.4K

-4.45%

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

$39.6K €34.6K

$38.7K £29.0K

2.44%

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

$148 €129

$273 £204

-45.81%

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

$20.52 €17.89

$15.76 £11.79

30.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.46

$34.64 £25.92

14.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €42.00

$49.74 £37.21

-3.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €16.03

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.93

$12.87 £9.63

-29.29%

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

$615 €536

$1,578 £1,180

-61.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$18.6K £13.9K

-12.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.6

$106 £79.5

-4.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.69

$59.9 £44.83

-29.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.5

$125 £93.3

-25.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$88.6 £66.3

37.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,405

$1,478 £1,106

9.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,093

$821 £614

52.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,676

$2,570 £1,922

19.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,776

$1,254 £938

62.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,757

$5,054 £3,781

53.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,737

$3,841 £2,874

11.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,396

$2,061 £1,542

-22.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.45

-30.09%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Durham: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $1,478 in Durham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham pays 29% 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 $96.0 in Durham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $297 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 Durham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Durham differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $2,071 including rent). Durham is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 29% lower in Durham. 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $1,478 in Durham. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $2,071 in Durham – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durham runs roughly 18% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,071 in Durham versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Durham but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Durham the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Durham 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 Durham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.