Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Grays

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,369 in Grays, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. The total is higher in Grays despite lower rent and utilities.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Grays
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,369
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Grays

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

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Lisbon vs $2,369 in Grays, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Grays $2,369

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Lisbon vs $3,403 in Grays, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Grays $3,403

A family of three spends $4,319 per month in Lisbon vs $4,437 in Grays, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Grays $4,437

Lisbon is about 6% cheaper than Grays, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lisbon and Grays sit above the global median – Lisbon by 65%, Grays by 75%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Grays
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$24.94 £18.71
-33.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$52.3 £39.24
17.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$9.98 £7.49
12.93%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$4.64 £3.48
-34.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$3.86 £2.90
-41.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$3.32 £2.49
-47.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$5.40 £4.05
-37.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$7.88 £5.91
-56.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Grays
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.55 £1.16
-27.74%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.47 £1.10
26.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.64 £1.23
-6.71%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$4.41 £3.31
-10.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$12.06 £9.05
5.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$9.17 £6.88
-13.85%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$15.11 £11.33
12.31%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.95 £2.21
-23.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.89 £1.42
-7.41%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.82 £2.11
-34.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$3.77 £2.83
-31.83%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$2.20 £1.65
-15.45%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.79 £1.35
12.85%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.18 £0.88
22.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$1.43 £1.07
-42.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$17.07 £12.80
-61.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$10.87 £8.16
-48.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$3.04 £2.28
-57.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$3.23 £2.42
-35.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Grays
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$3.54 £2.66
-33.62%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
$97.5 £73.1
-54.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$4.88 £3.66
-18.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$2.69 £2.02
-59.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$39.12 £29.35
-57.46%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.06 £1.54
10.68%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$38.6K £29.0K
-12.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$40.9K £30.7K
-3.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Grays
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$280 £210
-40.08%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$16.46 £12.35
14.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$44.70 £33.53
-25.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Grays
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$46.48 £34.87
-1.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$11.16 £8.37
-11.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Grays
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$2,079 £1,559
-67.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$30.6K £23.0K
-44.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Grays
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$90.9 £68.2
11.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$44.44 £33.34
2.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$105 £78.4
-4.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$88.0 £66.0
39.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Grays
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$1,235 £926
30.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$1,012 £759
18.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$2,126 £1,595
34.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$1,634 £1,226
21.82%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
$5,052 £3,790
49.99%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
$3,847 £2,886
11.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Grays
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.12
-24.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Grays: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Grays
$1K 15.5% $185
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Grays
$313 16.3% $44
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Grays
$357 47.3% $115
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Grays
$341 55.3% $121
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Grays
$148 11.3% $19
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Grays
$69 4.7% $3.1
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Grays
$130 106% $67

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Lisbon versus $1,235 in Grays. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Lisbon versus $52.0 in Grays. Groceries tell a different story – $269 in Lisbon vs $313 in Grays – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇧 Grays
🕒 Local time
09:41 9:41 AM
09:41 9:41 AM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
36,601
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Grays 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Grays

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 Grays: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Grays cheaper than Lisbon?
Yes – Grays is pricier by about 7%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,335 per month in Lisbon and $3,553 in Grays. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Lisbon and in Grays?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,223 in Lisbon and $2,369 in Grays. That's a gap of about 7%.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 121% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Lisbon or in Grays?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,223, than in Grays at $2,369. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Grays it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Lisbon or Grays more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Lisbon or Grays?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Grays makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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