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: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $2,377 in Exeter.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $3,895 in Exeter.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $5,414 in Exeter.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 7% less than in Exeter, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Exeter 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$20.56 £15.32

-23.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$86.9 £64.8

-28.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$10.09 £7.51

4.46%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$4.42 £3.29

-37.33%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$3.05 £2.27

-25.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$1.74 £1.30

-10.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$7.52 £5.60

-52.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$5.97 £4.45

-33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.78 £1.33

-39.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.90 £1.42

-6.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.72 £1.28

2.91%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$4.88 £3.64

-36.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$8.28 £6.16

61.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$6.79 £5.05

17.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$19.18 £14.29

-17.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.34 £1.74

-2.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.24 £0.92

32.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$2.31 £1.72

-14.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$3.15 £2.35

-22.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.09 £0.81

62.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.29 £0.96

52.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.05 £0.78

87.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.40 £1.04

-42.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$21.57 £16.07

-69.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$9.65 £7.19

-40.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$2.66 £1.98

-50.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.59 £1.93

15.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$2.78 £2.07

-15.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$105 £78.5

-56.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$6.75 £5.02

-36.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.64 £1.22

-48.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$21.97 £16.37

-14.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.98 £1.47

4.55%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$38.7K £28.8K

-8.95%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$38.8K £28.9K

-0.46%

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

$151 €130

$346 £258

-56.29%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$16.03 £11.94

30.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$45.36 £33.79

-12.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$39.65 £29.53

22.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$14.29 £10.64

30.23%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$12.00 £8.94

-24.67%

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

$610 €525

$1,499 £1,116

-59.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$21.1K £15.8K

-23.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$76.6 £57.1

32.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$34.22 £25.49

18.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$102 £75.9

-8.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$112 £83.1

6.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$1,343 £1,000

19.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$998 £744

24.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$2,533 £1,886

19.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$2,455 £1,828

-16.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$5,365 £3,996

48.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$6,696 £4,987

-32.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$3,070 £2,287

-46.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.72

-33.39%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Exeter: June 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $1,343 in Exeter. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Exeter pays 89% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $87.0 in Exeter for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $288 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 7% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $2,377 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Exeter earns 89% less. 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $1,343 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 $62.0 versus $87.0 in Exeter. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,217 per month in Lisbon versus $2,377 in Exeter – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,217 in Lisbon versus $2,377 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 7% less than in Exeter. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.