Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Leicester Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Leicester

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,291 per month in Lisbon vs $2,341 in Leicester, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,322 per month in Lisbon vs $3,320 in Leicester, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,354 per month in Lisbon vs $4,300 in Leicester, rent included.

Lisbon is about 2% cheaper than Leicester, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Lisbon and Leicester sit above the global median – Lisbon by 71%, Leicester by 75%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$20.36 £15.14

-20.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$68.6 £51.0

-7.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$8.91 £6.63

15.82%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.77 £2.80

-24.93%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$1.93 £1.44

18.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.17 £0.87

35.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$5.35 £3.98

-36.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$6.16 £4.58

-34.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.83 £1.36

-40.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.62 £1.21

8.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.37 £1.76

-25.74%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.57 £2.66

-11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$12.47 £9.28

5.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$9.43 £7.01

-15.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$11.79 £8.77

31.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.38 £1.77

-0.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.73 £1.29

-1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.59 £1.93

-22.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.19 £2.37

-23.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.22 £0.90

44.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.56 £1.16

30.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.81 £0.61

137.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.45 £1.08

-41.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$20.15 £14.99

-67.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$10.95 £8.14

-49.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.93 £2.18

-54.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.75 £2.05

8.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$3.44 £2.56

-33.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$87.0 £64.7

-47.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$5.26 £3.91

-19.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.35 £1.00

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$41.51 £30.87

-55.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.98 £1.47

5.05%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$38.3K £28.5K

-9.37%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$40.6K £30.2K

-3.67%

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

$148 €130

$284 £211

-47.86%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$16.96 £12.62

20.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$42.19 £31.38

-6.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$40.37 £30.03

18.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$32.00 £23.80

-41.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$15.10 £11.23

-38.94%

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

$616 €539

$1,031 £767

-40.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$34.6K £25.7K

-52.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$95.7 £71.2

7.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$36.89 £27.44

13.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$132 £97.8

-27.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$94.1 £70.0

29.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$1,022 £760

59.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$1,026 £763

20.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,751 £1,302

76.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$1,482 £1,102

37.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$4,922 £3,661

59.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$3,441 £2,560

27.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$2,860 £2,127

-43.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.9

-35.42%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Leicester: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,022 in Leicester. 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 78% higher in Leicester, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon versus $69.0 in Leicester. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $296 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Leicester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leicester costs about 2% more than Lisbon, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,437 per month in Lisbon and $3,512 in Leicester. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Groceries cost about 11% more in Leicester, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon and $69.0 in Leicester. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,291, than in Leicester at $2,341. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Leicester it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lisbon costs $2,291 versus $2,341 in Leicester. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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