Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hertfordshire

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,499 in Hertfordshire, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Hertfordshire
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,499
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Hertfordshire

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,499 in Hertfordshire.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Hertfordshire $2,499

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,774 in Hertfordshire.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Hertfordshire $3,774

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $5,049 in Hertfordshire.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Hertfordshire $5,049

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 12% less than in Hertfordshire, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Hertfordshire 84% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Hertfordshire
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$26.87 £20.08
-38.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$81.1 £60.6
-23.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$10.61 £7.93
7.07%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$5.14 £3.84
-42.22%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.42 £1.80
-5.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.08 £1.56
-16.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$5.50 £4.11
-38.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$5.62 £4.20
-41.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Hertfordshire
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.53 £1.14
-24.18%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.91 £1.43
-
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$2.78 £2.08
-45.68%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$3.64 £2.72
10.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$7.83 £5.85
65.26%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$7.38 £5.51
5.28%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$16.87 £12.60
5.28%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$3.28 £2.45
-29.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.54 £1.15
12.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$3.03 £2.26
-38.61%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$3.40 £2.54
-23.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.16 £0.87
56.90%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.82 £1.36
8.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.26 £0.94
16.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.30 £0.97
-44.62%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$20.92 £15.63
-68.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$10.09 £7.54
-44.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.01 £1.50
-32.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$1.96 £1.46
9.18%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Hertfordshire
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$3.54 £2.65
-34.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
$85.7 £64.0
-47.86%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$4.05 £3.02
-4.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$3.94 £2.94
-72.84%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$32.16 £24.03
-48.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.00 £1.50
10.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$38.3K £28.6K
-10.82%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$39.8K £29.7K
-2.70%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Hertfordshire
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$158 £118
2.30%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$17.19 £12.84
7.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$43.88 £32.78
-25.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Hertfordshire
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$46.49 £34.73
-4.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$13.52 £10.10
-28.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Hertfordshire
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$1,620 £1,211
-58.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$22.4K £16.7K
-21.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Hertfordshire
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$47.28 £35.32
115.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$39.28 £29.35
13.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$74.0 £55.3
33.05%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$113 £84.1
9.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Hertfordshire
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$1,787 £1,335
-9.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$1,307 £977
-8.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$2,899 £2,165
-2.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$2,311 £1,726
-12.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$5,001 £3,736
56.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$3,819 £2,853
19.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Hertfordshire
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$3,256 £2,432
-51.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.21
-26.10%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Hertfordshire: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Hertfordshire
$1.3K 9.8% $117
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Hertfordshire
$288 5.6% $15
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Hertfordshire
$365 50.6% $123
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Hertfordshire
$219 3% $6.3
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Hertfordshire
$123 25.9% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Hertfordshire
$74 15.4% $9.8
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Hertfordshire
$124 95.6% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,787 in Hertfordshire. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hertfordshire 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 $81 in Hertfordshire for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $288 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇧 Hertfordshire
🕒 Local time
02:59 2:59 AM
02:59 2:59 AM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
33,990
💱 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 Hertfordshire 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Hertfordshire

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 Hertfordshire: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lisbon cheaper than Hertfordshire?
Lisbon is about 12% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and groceries. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Lisbon or Hertfordshire?
On paper, salaries run 52% 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 Hertfordshire?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,787 in Hertfordshire. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Lisbon or in Hertfordshire?
Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $81 in Hertfordshire. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Lisbon and in Hertfordshire?
All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $2,499 in Hertfordshire – Lisbon is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $3,000 enough for either Lisbon or Hertfordshire?
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 Hertfordshire?
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 safer, Lisbon or Hertfordshire?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Hertfordshire are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Hertfordshire. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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