Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ipswich

For one person, living is cheaper in Ipswich: $2,037 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Ipswich
Learn more

Ipswich Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Ipswich

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Ipswich

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

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Lisbon vs $2,037 in Ipswich, rent included.

Lisbon $2,223
Ipswich $2,037

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Lisbon vs $2,901 in Ipswich, rent included.

Lisbon $3,271
Ipswich $2,901

A family of three spends $4,319 per month in Lisbon vs $3,766 in Ipswich, rent included.

Lisbon $4,319
Ipswich $3,766

Lisbon costs about 9% more than Ipswich, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lisbon and Ipswich sit above the global median – Lisbon by 65%, Ipswich by 51%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$31.50 A$45.33

-47.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$74.1 A$107

-17.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$9.98 A$14.36

12.93%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$4.54 A$6.53

-32.60%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$3.92 A$5.64

-42.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$2.50 A$3.60

-30.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$9.04 A$13.01

-62.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$7.61 A$10.94

-55.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.42 A$3.48

-53.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.37 A$3.41

-21.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.22 A$3.19

-31.08%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$7.14 A$10.27

-44.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$7.32 A$10.53

74.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$8.24 A$11.86

-4.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$14.05 A$20.22

20.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$3.37 A$4.86

-32.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.57 A$3.70

-31.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.85 A$4.10

-35.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$3.76 A$5.41

-31.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.99 A$2.87

-6.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.05 A$2.95

-1.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$2.46 A$3.54

-41.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.78 A$2.56

-53.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$44.60 A$64.2

-85.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$22.31 A$32.11

-74.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$6.21 A$8.93

-79.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$7.15 A$10.28

-71.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$0.36 A$0.52

552.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$2.18 A$3.14

83.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.56 A$2.25

-30.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$36.12 A$52.0

-53.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.47 A$2.11

55.10%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

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

$39.3K €35.0K

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

$167 €149

$90.9 A$131

84.34%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$30.70 A$44.18

-38.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$63.2 A$90.9

-47.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$17.21 A$24.76

167.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

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

$677 €602

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$1,026 A$1,476

57.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$1,016 A$1,463

17.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$1,416 A$2,038

102.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$1,402 A$2,018

41.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$4,146 A$5,966

-61.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

5.98

-35.62%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Ipswich: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Ipswich

$1K 49.9% 15.1% $181

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Ipswich

$384 18.9% 42.7% $115

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Ipswich

$423 20.8% 74.4% $180

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Ipswich

$185 9.1% 15.8% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Ipswich

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Ipswich

$17 * 0.9% 73.8% $48

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Ipswich

$11 * 0.6% 81.8% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Lisbon versus $1,026 in Ipswich. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 161% higher in Ipswich, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Lisbon versus $74.0 in Ipswich. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $384 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇦🇺 Ipswich

🕒 Local time

20:59 8:59 PM

05:59 5:59 AM

9 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

229,208

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Ipswich 17,930 km ≈ 23 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Ipswich

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 Ipswich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 9%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,335 per month in Lisbon and $3,055 in Ipswich. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ipswich, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 43% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Lisbon and $74.0 in Ipswich. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Ipswich, where all-in costs run around $2,037, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Ipswich it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ipswich – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ipswich. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.