Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Motherwell Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Motherwell

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Lisbon versus $2,251 in Motherwell.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Lisbon versus $3,384 in Motherwell.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,397 in Lisbon versus $4,517 in Motherwell.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Motherwell 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.46

$20.05 £14.86

-21.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.8

$81.7 £60.5

-21.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.82

$10.15 £7.52

2.17%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$4.78 £3.54

-39.54%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$2.38 £1.76

-6.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$1.67 £1.23

-7.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.88

$6.17 £4.57

-45.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.32

$6.29 £4.66

-38.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.64 £1.22

-31.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$1.59 £1.18

13.21%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.31 £1.71

-24.24%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.70

$3.97 £2.94

-20.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.49

$10.10 £7.48

33.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.63

$8.75 £6.49

-10.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.32

$13.78 £10.21

13.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$3.15 £2.34

-27.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.59 £1.18

7.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$2.81 £2.08

-31.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$3.53 £2.61

-28.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$1.63 £1.21

9.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$1.49 £1.11

37.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.65

$1.06 £0.79

83.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.51 £1.12

-46.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.66

$18.97 £14.05

-64.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.92

$10.81 £8.01

-46.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.68 £1.98

-50.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$3.20 £2.37

-9.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.00

$3.38 £2.51

-30.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.89

$89.9 £66.6

-49.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.58

$5.57 £4.13

-24.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.52 £1.12

-46.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.91

$23.55 £17.45

-20.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.87 £1.39

11.76%

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

$34.6K €29.5K

$38.7K £28.7K

-10.60%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$41.2K £30.5K

-3.80%

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

$146 €124

$295 £218

-50.53%

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

$20.84 €17.73

$17.43 £12.91

19.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.85

$42.61 £31.57

-6.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.35

$46.75 £34.64

3.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.04

$6.82 £5.05

176.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.72

$13.40 £9.93

-32.31%

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

$618 €526

$1,588 £1,177

-61.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$18.1K £13.4K

-10.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.0

$82.7 £61.3

26.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.50

$43.49 £32.22

-6.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.8

$92.9 £68.8

1.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$97.9 £72.6

25.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,365

$1,210 £897

32.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,073

$994 £736

26.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,608

$2,070 £1,534

48.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,668 £1,236

20.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,555

$3,606 £2,672

113.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,716

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,394

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.63

-32.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Motherwell: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $1,210 in Motherwell. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64 in Lisbon vs $82 in Motherwell for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $299 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 Motherwell: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $3,387 in Lisbon and $3,377 in Motherwell 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 $1,210 in Motherwell. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Motherwell runs roughly 97% 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 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,251 in Motherwell versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Motherwell but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Motherwell 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 Motherwell 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 – Motherwell wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.