Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hamilton Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hamilton

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,507 in Hamilton.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,577 in Hamilton.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,647 in Hamilton.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 12% less than in Hamilton, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Hamilton 87% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$18.39 CA$25.47

-13.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$74.6 CA$103

-13.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$10.84 CA$15.02

-3.04%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.03 CA$5.58

-28.78%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.10 CA$2.90

6.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.73 CA$2.39

-13.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$5.73 CA$7.94

-39.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$6.49 CA$8.99

-40.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.23 CA$3.09

-48.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.11 CA$2.92

-17.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$3.00 CA$4.16

-41.33%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.20 CA$4.43

0.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.76 CA$10.74

73.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$11.64 CA$16.11

-32.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$14.37 CA$19.89

10.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.86 CA$5.34

-40.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.31 CA$1.81

29.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.58 CA$4.95

-43.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.73 CA$5.17

-34.05%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.64 CA$3.65

-30.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.20 CA$3.04

-9.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.22 CA$3.08

-13.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$2.00 CA$2.77

-60.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$13.59 CA$18.82

-51.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$13.08 CA$18.11

-56.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$2.47 CA$3.42

-44.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.01 CA$4.16

-1.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.56 CA$3.55

-7.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$86.2 CA$119

-47.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$3.58 CA$4.96

19.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.21 CA$1.68

-32.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$24.51 CA$33.94

-25.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.15 CA$1.60

79.13%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$25.0K CA$34.6K

37.37%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$20.9K CA$29.0K

87.64%

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

$148 €127

$150 CA$208

-1.47%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$38.86 CA$53.8

-47.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$53.0 CA$73.3

-25.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$36.45 CA$50.5

31.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$21.88 CA$30.29

-13.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$11.73 CA$16.24

-21.74%

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

$614 €528

$644 CA$892

-4.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$22.4K CA$31.0K

-28.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$56.6 CA$78.4

84.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$34.04 CA$47.14

23.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$97.3 CA$135

-3.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$120 CA$167

-0.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$1,346 CA$1,864

20.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$1,306 CA$1,808

-3.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$2,056 CA$2,846

47.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,970 CA$2,728

2.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$2,754 CA$3,813

183.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$2,768 CA$3,833

54.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$2,916 CA$4,037

-45.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.62

-42.45%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Hamilton: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,346 in Hamilton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hamilton pays 82% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $75.0 in Hamilton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $343 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 Hamilton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Getting Around, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Hamilton earns 82% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,346 in Hamilton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $644 in Hamilton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Hamilton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,507 in Hamilton, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Hamilton. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lisbon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Hamilton, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Hamilton 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 13% less than in Hamilton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.