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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $2,258 in Middlesex.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $3,949 in Middlesex.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $5,641 in Middlesex.

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$15.38 £11.43

3.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$75.5 £56.1

-16.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$9.09 £6.76

14.19%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$3.85 £2.86

-27.53%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$2.31 £1.72

1.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.05 £1.53

-23.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$4.04 £3.00

-15.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$4.79 £3.56

-18.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.38 £1.03

-21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.35 £1.01

31.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$3.58 £2.66

-52.23%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.98 £2.96

-20.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$5.45 £4.06

151.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$8.19 £6.09

-2.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$14.59 £10.85

6.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$3.31 £2.46

-30.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.97 £0.72

69.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$0.97 £0.72

100.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$4.41 £3.28

-43.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.19 £0.89

50.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.31 £0.98

53.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.01 £0.75

95.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.79 £1.33

-53.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$17.60 £13.09

-61.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$9.18 £6.82

-38.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$3.65 £2.72

-61.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.87 £2.13

5.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$3.40 £2.53

-33.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$90.1 £67.0

-49.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$4.04 £3.00

6.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.31 £0.98

-35.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$33.83 £25.15

-45.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.96 £1.46

1.53%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$37.9K £28.2K

-7.67%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$37.0K £27.5K

6.96%

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

$146 €126

$312 £232

-53.18%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$22.95 £17.06

-10.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$40.14 £29.85

-2.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$53.8 £39.98

-8.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$20.67 £15.37

-8.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$14.58 £10.84

-34.71%

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

$608 €524

$1,621 £1,205

-62.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$13.7K £10.2K

20.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$104 £77.6

-0.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$55.2 £41.07

-23.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$127 £94.3

-27.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$129 £95.6

-6.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$1,203 £894

34.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$1,008 £749

25.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$2,004 £1,490

52.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$3,001 £2,231

-33.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$5,255 £3,907

45.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$7,028 £5,225

-38.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Middlesex: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $1,203 in Middlesex. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $75.0 in Middlesex for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $281 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

You'd need roughly $3,394 in Lisbon and $3,387 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $1,203 in Middlesex. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Middlesex runs roughly 98% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,258 in Middlesex versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Middlesex but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Middlesex 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.

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