Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Glenrothes

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,416 in Glenrothes, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Glenrothes, United Kingdom
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Glenrothes
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,416
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Glenrothes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,416 in Glenrothes.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Glenrothes $2,416

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,465 in Glenrothes.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Glenrothes $3,465

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,514 in Glenrothes.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Glenrothes $4,514

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 9% less than in Glenrothes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Glenrothes 78% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Glenrothes
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$15.03 £11.23
10.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$62.7 £46.82
-1.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$10.45 £7.81
8.71%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$3.77 £2.82
-21.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.55 £1.91
-10.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.11 £1.58
-17.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$7.09 £5.30
-52.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$5.61 £4.19
-41.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Glenrothes
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.49 £1.11
-22.15%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.76 £1.32
8.52%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$1.94 £1.45
-22.16%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$4.40 £3.29
-8.64%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$8.51 £6.36
52.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$12.08 £9.02
-35.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$16.75 £12.51
6.03%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$2.98 £2.23
-22.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.36 £1.01
27.21%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.87 £2.14
-35.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$3.84 £2.87
-32.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.72 £1.29
5.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.44 £1.07
36.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.20 £0.90
22.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.68 £1.25
-57.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$21.76 £16.25
-69.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$11.19 £8.36
-49.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.66 £1.99
-48.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$3.07 £2.29
-30.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Glenrothes
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$3.65 £2.72
-36.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
$96.9 £72.4
-53.89%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$4.11 £3.07
-6.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$2.35 £1.76
-54.47%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$24.11 £18.01
-31.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.87 £1.40
17.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$38.8K £29.0K
-11.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$40.1K £30.0K
-3.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Glenrothes
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$401 £300
-59.81%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$27.44 £20.50
-32.91%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$42.18 £31.51
-22.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Glenrothes
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$46.60 £34.81
-4.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$11.38 £8.50
-15.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Glenrothes
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$1,756 £1,312
-61.97%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$23.2K £17.3K
-23.91%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Glenrothes
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$96.3 £72.0
5.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$47.89 £35.77
-7.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$104 £77.4
-4.86%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$114 £85.0
8.71%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Glenrothes
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$1,206 £901
33.32%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$1,001 £748
18.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$2,101 £1,569
33.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$1,675 £1,251
20.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$5,047 £3,770
55.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$3,863 £2,886
18.45%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Glenrothes
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$3,326 £2,485
-52.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.11
-24.66%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Glenrothes: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Glenrothes
$1K 15.9% $189
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Glenrothes
$323 18.4% $50
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Glenrothes
$262 8.1% $20
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Glenrothes
$471 122% $258
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Glenrothes
$163 1.9% $3.2
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Glenrothes
$69 8.8% $5.6
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Glenrothes
$127 102% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,206 in Glenrothes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Glenrothes pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $63 in Glenrothes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $323 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇧 Glenrothes
🕒 Local time
11:09 11:09 AM
11:09 11:09 AM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
39,277
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Glenrothes 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Glenrothes

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 Glenrothes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lisbon cheaper than Glenrothes?
Lisbon is about 9% cheaper overall, especially in transport, groceries, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Lisbon or Glenrothes?
On paper, salaries run 53% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Lisbon and Glenrothes?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,206 in Glenrothes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Lisbon and in Glenrothes?
Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Glenrothes. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Lisbon and in Glenrothes?
All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $2,416 in Glenrothes – Lisbon is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $3,000 enough for either Lisbon or Glenrothes?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Lisbon or in Glenrothes?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Glenrothes on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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