Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Harlow Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Harlow

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,655 in Harlow.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,928 in Harlow.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $5,202 in Harlow.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 17% less than in Harlow, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Harlow 98% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$27.58 £20.54

-42.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$95.6 £71.2

-32.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$10.27 £7.65

2.34%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.84 £2.86

-25.26%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$3.49 £2.60

-35.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.01 £1.49

-25.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$4.88 £3.64

-28.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$4.53 £3.38

-14.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.36 £1.02

-16.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.32 £0.98

32.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.65 £1.97

-33.58%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.54 £2.64

-9.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$10.18 £7.58

32.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.91 £5.89

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$13.26 £9.87

19.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.07 £2.28

-24.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.97 £0.73

75.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.92 £2.17

-31.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.28 £2.44

-25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.63 £0.47

192.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.14 £0.85

75.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.56 £0.42

244.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.69 £0.52

14.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$16.78 £12.50

-60.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$9.34 £6.95

-38.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.33 £1.74

-41.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.34 £2.49

-11.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.75 £2.05

-13.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$84.4 £62.9

-46.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$5.49 £4.09

-21.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.66 £1.24

-50.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$15.23 £11.34

20.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.93 £1.44

6.74%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$32.7K £24.3K

4.93%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$40.4K £30.1K

-2.67%

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

$148 €127

$221 £165

-33.09%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$13.38 £9.96

53.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$37.11 £27.64

6.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$27.41 £20.41

74.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$12.37 £9.22

-25.79%

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

$614 €529

$1,917 £1,428

-67.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$26.1K £19.4K

-38.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$84.5 £62.9

23.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$48.37 £36.03

-13.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$110 £82.1

-14.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$99.4 £74.0

20.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,649 £1,228

-1.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$1,481 £1,103

-15.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$2,568 £1,913

17.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$2,407 £1,793

-16.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$3,032 £2,258

-47.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-23.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Harlow: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,649 in Harlow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harlow 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $96.0 in Harlow. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $262, with Harlow cheaper for home cooking.

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 Harlow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Harlow differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,655 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Harlow 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,649 in Harlow. 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 $65.0 versus $96.0 in Harlow. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $2,655 in Harlow – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Harlow 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 20% less than in Harlow. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.