Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Montreal Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Montreal

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,085 in Montreal.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $3,174 in Montreal.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $4,262 in Montreal.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 10% more expensive than in Montreal, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Montreal 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$16.52 CA$23.24

-2.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$74.0 CA$104

-14.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$10.94 CA$15.40

-5.67%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.84 CA$5.41

-26.30%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$2.14 CA$3.01

7.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.45 CA$2.04

8.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$6.13 CA$8.63

-44.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$6.73 CA$9.47

-40.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$2.35 CA$3.31

-53.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$3.34 CA$4.69

-47.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.74 CA$5.27

-52.94%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.39 CA$4.77

-6.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$16.30 CA$22.93

-19.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$11.81 CA$16.62

-32.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$15.64 CA$22.01

-0.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.69 CA$5.20

-35.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.70 CA$2.39

0.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$4.11 CA$5.79

-51.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$4.41 CA$6.20

-44.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.79 CA$3.93

-36.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.64 CA$3.72

-23.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.29 CA$3.22

-16.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.78 CA$2.51

-52.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$13.17 CA$18.53

-50.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$10.64 CA$14.97

-47.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.99 CA$4.20

-55.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.44 CA$4.83

-13.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.81 CA$3.95

-18.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$72.8 CA$102

-37.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.52 CA$4.95

20.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.45 CA$2.05

-44.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$34.29 CA$48.26

-46.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.22 CA$1.72

70.49%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$25.3K CA$35.5K

37.28%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$22.1K CA$31.1K

76.90%

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

$148 €130

$76.5 CA$108

93.53%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$35.60 CA$50.1

-42.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$42.96 CA$60.5

-7.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$43.39 CA$61.1

10.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$16.83 CA$23.68

10.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$11.09 CA$15.60

-16.86%

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

$616 €540

$625 CA$879

-1.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$5,896 CA$8,296

178.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$63.1 CA$88.8

62.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$44.50 CA$62.6

-6.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$103 CA$145

-7.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$118 CA$166

3.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$1,207 CA$1,699

35.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$965 CA$1,358

27.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$2,031 CA$2,858

52.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,577 CA$2,219

28.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$5,085 CA$7,155

54.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$3,783 CA$5,324

16.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$2,890 CA$4,066

-44.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.01

-23.95%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Montreal: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,207 in Montreal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Montreal pays 80% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $74.0 in Montreal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $395 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 Montreal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Montreal differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $2,085 including rent). Montreal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 80% lower in Montreal. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,207 in Montreal. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $625 in Montreal. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 48% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,085 in Montreal versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Montreal but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Montreal 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 Montreal 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 Montreal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.