Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and London Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and London

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $4,005 in London.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $5,688 in London.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $7,371 in London.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 44% less than in London, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, London 199% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$27.10 £20.08

-40.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$109 £80.6

-40.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$11.05 £8.19

-6.06%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$5.16 £3.83

-46.32%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$2.73 £2.02

-17.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.86 £1.38

-15.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$8.88 £6.58

-60.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$8.15 £6.04

-50.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.75 £1.30

-38.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.19 £1.62

-20.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.58 £1.91

-32.56%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$4.84 £3.59

-34.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$11.16 £8.27

20.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$9.03 £6.69

-11.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$14.73 £10.92

9.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$3.43 £2.54

-33.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.94 £1.44

-11.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$3.10 £2.29

-37.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$3.45 £2.56

-26.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.74 £1.29

5.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.85 £1.37

10.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.39 £1.03

42.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.98 £1.47

-57.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$23.08 £17.10

-70.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$13.32 £9.87

-56.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$3.30 £2.45

-58.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$4.02 £2.98

-27.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$3.84 £2.85

-40.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$246 £182

-80.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$5.85 £4.33

-30.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.34 £2.47

-75.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$40.12 £29.73

-54.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.90 £1.41

5.79%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$38.9K £28.9K

-9.43%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$38.6K £28.6K

-0.39%

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

$145 €124

$318 £236

-54.32%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$19.99 £14.81

4.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$43.42 £32.17

-7.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$64.6 £47.85

-24.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$23.02 £17.06

-18.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$20.17 £14.94

-55.08%

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

$607 €519

$2,552 £1,891

-76.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$27.9K £20.7K

-41.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$119 £88.3

-12.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$50.4 £37.33

-18.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$127 £94.0

-26.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$159 £118

-25.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$3,034 £2,249

-47.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$2,294 £1,700

-46.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$5,634 £4,175

-45.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$3,693 £2,737

-44.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$19.2K £14.2K

-59.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$10.5K £7,791

-59.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$5,023 £3,722

-68.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.05

-24.55%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for London: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $3,034 in London. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

London pays 217% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $109 in London for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $340 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 London: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and London differ by about 80% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $4,005 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, London earns 217% less. 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $3,034 in London. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $2,552 in London. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in London. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,227 in Lisbon versus $4,005 in London, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in London. 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 London 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 80% less than in London. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.