Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Inverness Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Inverness

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,512 in Inverness.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $3,544 in Inverness.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $4,576 in Inverness.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 9% less than in Inverness, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Inverness 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$20.60 £15.33

-21.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$98.9 £73.6

-35.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$9.33 £6.95

10.61%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$4.22 £3.14

-32.94%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$2.23 £1.66

2.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.46 £1.08

8.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$6.95 £5.17

-51.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$6.94 £5.16

-41.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.67 £1.25

-34.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.72 £1.28

1.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.50 £1.86

-29.60%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.88 £2.89

-18.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$9.83 £7.32

34.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$9.42 £7.01

-15.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$14.25 £10.61

8.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.69 £2.01

-11.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.84 £1.37

-7.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.12 £1.58

-5.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.35 £1.00

80.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.72 £1.28

2.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.21 £0.90

67.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.22 £0.91

57.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.64 £1.22

-48.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$18.01 £13.41

-63.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$11.02 £8.20

-49.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.97 £2.21

-55.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.09 £2.30

-3.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$3.56 £2.65

-35.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$65.2 £48.55

-29.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$5.35 £3.98

-20.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.33 £1.74

-65.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$24.21 £18.02

-23.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.90 £1.41

9.47%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$34.5K £25.7K

0.43%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$38.7K £28.8K

1.15%

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

$148 €130

$384 £286

-61.42%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$17.36 £12.93

17.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$40.04 £29.81

-1.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$43.04 £32.04

11.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$8.01 £5.97

132.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$14.78 £11.00

-37.62%

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

$616 €540

$1,095 £815

-43.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$18.4K £13.7K

-10.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$95.3 £71.0

7.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$36.56 £27.22

14.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$96.7 £72.0

-1.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$109 £81.4

11.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$1,344 £1,000

21.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$1,113 £829

10.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$2,333 £1,737

32.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,638 £1,219

24.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$4,208 £3,133

86.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$3,430 £2,554

27.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$3,256 £2,424

-50.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.32

-28.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Inverness: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,344 in Inverness. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Inverness pays 103% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $99.0 in Inverness for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $294 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 Inverness: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Inverness. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 103% lower in Inverness. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,344 in Inverness. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 42% less than in Inverness. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $1,095 in Inverness. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,512 in Inverness, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Inverness. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,291 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Inverness 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 10% less than in Inverness. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.