Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ipswich Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ipswich

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $2,318 in Ipswich.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $3,487 in Ipswich.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $4,657 in Ipswich.

Monthly costs are close between Lisbon and Ipswich; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Ipswich 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$21.46 £15.88

-19.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.5

$107 £79.5

-41.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.81

$10.64 £7.87

7.05%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$5.83 £4.31

-45.28%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$1.70 £1.26

44.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.88 £1.39

-6.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$6.94 £5.13

-48.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$6.97 £5.16

-51.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.72 £1.27

-27.91%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.65 £1.22

20.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.65 £1.22

-7.88%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$4.45 £3.29

-9.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$13.07 £9.67

3.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$8.99 £6.65

-6.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.71

$15.62 £11.55

16.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.29 £2.43

-30.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.50 £1.11

16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.75 £2.03

-32.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$3.20 £2.37

-17.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.64 £1.21

17.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.51 £1.12

38.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.48 £1.10

-2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.50 £1.11

-44.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$23.79 £17.60

-71.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$10.97 £8.11

-47.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.73 £2.02

-49.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.68 £2.72

-39.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$2.98 £2.21

-19.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.27

$86.8 £64.2

-46.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$5.64 £4.17

-26.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.05 £1.52

-44.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.22

$34.42 £25.46

-48.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.89 £1.40

22.75%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$38.6K £28.6K

-8.49%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$41.3K £30.6K

0.29%

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

$170 €147

$373 £276

-54.28%

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

$19.34 €16.65

$15.91 £11.77

21.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.96

$41.73 £30.87

-19.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.40

$34.46 £25.49

39.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.13

$7.96 £5.89

150.00%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$18.38 £13.60

-46.03%

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

$717 €617

$1,064 £788

-32.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$20.4K £15.1K

-14.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$71.3 £52.8

46.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.41

$56.0 £41.39

-16.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$82.3 £60.9

25.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$69.8 £51.6

77.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$1,089 £806

53.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$976 £722

30.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,569

$1,447 £1,071

106.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$1,566 £1,158

27.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,737

$5,170 £3,825

51.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,010

$3,994 £2,955

16.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$3,034 £2,245

-47.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

4.64

-18.32%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ipswich: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $1,089 in Ipswich. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ipswich pays 92% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $107 in Ipswich for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $316 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 Ipswich: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 92% lower in Ipswich. 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $1,089 in Ipswich. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $1,064 in Ipswich. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $107 in Ipswich. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,316 in Lisbon versus $2,318 in Ipswich, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Ipswich. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Ipswich are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Ipswich on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.