Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Guildford

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,168 in Guildford, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Guildford, United Kingdom
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Guildford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,168
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Guildford

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $3,168 in Guildford, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Guildford $3,168

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $4,474 in Guildford, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Guildford $4,474

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $5,779 in Guildford, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Guildford $5,779

Lisbon is about 30% cheaper than Guildford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lisbon and Guildford sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Guildford by 133%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Guildford
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$29.72 £22.37
-43.98%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$93.3 £70.2
-33.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$11.23 £8.45
1.16%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$5.04 £3.79
-41.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$2.71 £2.04
-15.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.56 £1.17
11.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$8.56 £6.44
-60.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$6.84 £5.14
-51.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Guildford
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.55 £1.16
-25.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$1.33 £1.00
43.61%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$1.97 £1.48
-23.35%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$4.36 £3.28
-7.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$13.56 £10.20
-4.57%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$10.24 £7.71
-24.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$16.16 £12.16
9.90%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$3.54 £2.66
-35.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$2.12 £1.60
-18.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$3.73 £2.81
-50.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$5.43 £4.08
-52.30%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$1.93 £1.45
-5.70%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.44 £1.08
36.81%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.15 £0.86
27.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.48 £1.12
-51.35%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$24.07 £18.12
-72.66%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$11.95 £9.00
-53.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.50 £1.88
-45.60%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$3.06 £2.30
-30.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Guildford
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$3.13 £2.36
-25.56%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$94.2 £70.9
-52.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$4.60 £3.47
-16.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$2.02 £1.52
-47.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$40.80 £30.70
-59.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$2.04 £1.53
7.84%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$39.2K £29.5K
-12.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$41.1K £30.9K
-5.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Guildford
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$398 £299
-59.46%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$20.59 £15.50
-10.59%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$46.34 £34.88
-29.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Guildford
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$51.7 £38.91
-13.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$23.05 £17.35
-17.14%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$10.51 £7.91
-8.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Guildford
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$2,390 £1,799
-72.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$24.5K £18.4K
-28.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Guildford
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$111 £83.4
-7.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$66.8 £50.3
-33.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$118 £88.8
-16.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$127 £95.7
-2.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Guildford
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$1,946 £1,465
-17.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$1,573 £1,184
-24.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$2,908 £2,189
-3.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$2,363 £1,778
-14.80%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$7,969 £5,998
-1.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$6,803 £5,120
-32.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Guildford
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$3,678 £2,768
-57.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.13
-24.95%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Guildford: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Guildford
$1.6K 32.2% $383
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Guildford
$340 25% $68
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Guildford
$405 67.1% $163
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Guildford
$465 119% $252
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Guildford
$190 14.7% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Guildford
$73 14.1% $9
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Guildford
$121 92.1% $58

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,946 in Guildford. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Guildford are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $93 in Guildford. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $340 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇧 Guildford
🕒 Local time
21:54 9:54 PM
21:54 9:54 PM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
66,773
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.753 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.838 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Guildford 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Guildford

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 Guildford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lisbon cheaper than Guildford?
Yes – Guildford is pricier by about 43%, 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 $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $4,752 in Guildford. 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,608 there versus $1,946 in Guildford.
How do food prices compare in Lisbon and in Guildford?
Groceries cost about 25% more in Guildford, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Is eating out cheaper in Lisbon or in Guildford?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $93 in Guildford. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Lisbon or in Guildford?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,210, than in Guildford at $3,168. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Guildford it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Lisbon or Guildford 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 Guildford?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Guildford makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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