Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Exeter Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Exeter

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,505 in Exeter.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $3,948 in Exeter.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $5,391 in Exeter.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 8% less than in Exeter, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Exeter 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.23

$20.06 £14.86

-12.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.4

$98.9 £73.3

-36.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.03

$9.37 £6.94

23.59%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.68

$5.08 £3.76

-38.98%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$3.15 £2.33

-20.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.51

$2.43 £1.80

-28.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.01

$7.23 £5.35

-51.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €2.98

$6.29 £4.66

-45.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €0.99

$1.51 £1.12

-23.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.65

$1.65 £1.23

15.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.30

$1.74 £1.29

-13.79%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.45

$4.37 £3.24

-8.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.51

$8.98 £6.65

48.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$8.96 £6.64

-10.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.62

$24.15 £17.89

-25.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$3.04 £2.25

-22.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.45 £1.08

20.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$2.64 £1.96

-29.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.21

$3.16 £2.34

-19.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$2.32 £1.72

-20.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.97 £1.46

6.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.62 £1.20

-8.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.89 £1.40

-56.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.15

$24.38 £18.06

-70.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.11

$9.25 £6.85

-36.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$3.63 £2.69

-63.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.85

$4.41 £3.26

-51.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.04

$3.95 £2.93

-40.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.36

$107 £79.2

-56.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.53

$5.80 £4.30

-29.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.56 £1.89

-55.47%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.80

$24.15 £17.89

-29.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.01 £1.49

14.93%

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

$34.1K €29.5K

$39.5K £29.3K

-13.67%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$41.2K £30.5K

0.37%

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

$169 €146

$475 £352

-64.50%

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

$19.33 €16.74

$15.89 £11.77

21.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.01

$46.57 £34.49

-28.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.28

$44.46 £32.93

9.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.82

$13.39 £9.92

45.11%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.28

$12.87 £9.53

-25.64%

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

$696 €602

$1,470 £1,089

-52.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.0K

$17.7K £13.1K

-2.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.2

$68.7 £50.9

53.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.34

$31.74 £23.51

50.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.0

$103 £76.0

-2.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$110 £81.1

13.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,439

$1,176 £871

41.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,079

$931 £690

33.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,566

$2,526 £1,871

17.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,773

$2,093 £1,551

-2.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,782

$5,439 £4,029

44.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,865

$6,608 £4,895

-32.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,412

$3,117 £2,309

-47.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.11

-26.03%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Exeter: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,176 in Exeter. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Exeter pays 91% 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 $99.0 in Exeter for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $336 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 Exeter: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Exeter differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $2,505 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Exeter. 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 $1,176 in Exeter. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $99.0 in Exeter. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $2,505 in Exeter – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,505 in Exeter, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Exeter. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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 Exeter 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 9% less than in Exeter. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.