Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Middlesex Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Middlesex

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Lisbon versus $2,292 in Middlesex.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Lisbon versus $3,984 in Middlesex.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,397 in Lisbon versus $5,675 in Middlesex.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 1% less than in Middlesex, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Middlesex 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.46

$15.52 £11.50

1.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.8

$75.0 £55.6

-14.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.82

$9.28 £6.87

11.75%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$3.67 £2.72

-21.25%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$2.40 £1.78

-7.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$2.08 £1.54

-25.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.88

$4.19 £3.11

-19.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.32

$4.98 £3.69

-21.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.37 £1.02

-18.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$1.41 £1.05

27.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$3.42 £2.53

-48.83%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.70

$3.85 £2.85

-17.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.49

$5.30 £3.93

154.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.63

$8.03 £5.95

-2.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.32

$14.73 £10.92

6.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$3.31 £2.45

-31.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.02 £0.75

67.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$0.99 £0.73

94.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$4.28 £3.17

-41.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$1.19 £0.88

50.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$1.33 £0.98

54.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.65

$1.02 £0.75

90.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.82 £1.35

-55.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.66

$17.46 £12.94

-61.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.92

$10.63 £7.88

-45.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$3.56 £2.64

-62.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$2.76 £2.04

5.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.00

$3.44 £2.55

-31.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.89

$87.4 £64.8

-47.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.58

$4.20 £3.11

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.31 £0.97

-38.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.91

$33.33 £24.70

-43.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.91 £1.42

9.42%

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

$34.6K €29.5K

$38.8K £28.8K

-10.84%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$36.8K £27.3K

7.68%

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

$146 €124

$321 £238

-54.59%

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

$20.84 €17.73

$22.82 £16.91

-8.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.85

$40.47 £29.99

-1.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.35

$53.8 £39.87

-9.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.04

$20.08 £14.88

-6.13%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.72

$14.69 £10.89

-38.26%

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

$618 €526

$1,617 £1,198

-61.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$13.7K £10.1K

18.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.0

$105 £78.0

-0.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.50

$54.2 £40.16

-25.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.8

$125 £92.9

-25.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$130 £96.1

-5.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,365

$1,237 £916

29.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,073

$999 £740

26.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,608

$2,028 £1,503

51.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$3,046 £2,257

-34.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,555

$8,805 £6,524

-12.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,716

$7,017 £5,200

-37.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,394

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.76

-33.85%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Middlesex: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $1,237 in Middlesex. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64 in Lisbon vs $75 in Middlesex for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $282 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 Middlesex: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Middlesex differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,258 vs $2,292 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,387 in Lisbon and $3,438 in Middlesex to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $1,237 in Middlesex. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $618 in Lisbon versus $1,617 in Middlesex. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 5% higher in Middlesex. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,258 in Lisbon versus $2,292 in Middlesex, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Middlesex. 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 Middlesex 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 1% less than in Middlesex. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.