Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Northampton

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,442 in Northampton, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Northampton
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,442
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Northampton

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Northampton actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,442 in Northampton.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Northampton $2,442

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $3,518 in Northampton.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Northampton $3,518

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,593 in Northampton.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Northampton $4,593

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 10% less than in Northampton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Northampton 80% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Northampton
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$26.21 £19.66
-34.99%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$79.8 £59.9
-21.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$10.68 £8.01
3.18%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$4.90 £3.67
-36.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.48 £1.86
-8.47%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$2.03 £1.52
-14.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$5.50 £4.13
-37.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$5.52 £4.14
-32.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Northampton
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.47 £1.10
-20.41%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.84 £1.38
1.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$2.71 £2.03
-43.17%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$4.22 £3.16
-3.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$9.09 £6.82
42.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$8.10 £6.08
-2.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$16.44 £12.33
7.30%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$3.41 £2.56
-33.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.62 £1.22
8.02%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$3.18 £2.39
-40.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$3.40 £2.55
-24.71%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.21 £0.90
52.89%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.83 £1.37
7.65%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.31 £0.98
10.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$1.30 £0.98
-40.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$23.40 £17.56
-71.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$9.77 £7.33
-41.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$3.32 £2.49
-58.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$3.06 £2.29
-31.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Northampton
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$3.35 £2.51
-30.75%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
$121 £91.1
-63.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$4.08 £3.06
-3.19%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$4.02 £3.02
-73.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$31.30 £23.48
-45.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$2.07 £1.55
5.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$37.8K £28.4K
-10.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$40.5K £30.3K
-5.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Northampton
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$366 £274
-55.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$17.52 £13.14
5.48%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$44.18 £33.14
-25.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Northampton
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$31.81 £23.86
44.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
$20.70 £15.53
-9.76%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$13.39 £10.05
-27.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Northampton
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$1,601 £1,201
-57.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Northampton
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$84.6 £63.4
22.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$40.26 £30.20
14.75%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$72.9 £54.7
36.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$110 £82.7
13.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Northampton
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$1,099 £824
44.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$996 £748
17.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$1,661 £1,246
71.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$1,540 £1,156
29.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$3,631 £2,724
114.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$3,526 £2,645
25.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Northampton
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
$3,640 £2,731
-56.04%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.21
-26.10%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Northampton: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Northampton
$996 14.8% $173
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Northampton
$305 11.6% $32
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Northampton
$357 44.3% $110
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Northampton
$427 98.6% $212
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Northampton
$139 17.7% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Northampton
$59 10.4% $6.8
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Northampton
$159 153% $96

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,099 in Northampton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Northampton pays 127% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $80.0 in Northampton for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $305 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇧 Northampton
🕒 Local time
06:40 6:40 AM
06:40 6:40 AM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
245,899
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Northampton 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Northampton

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Northampton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Northampton?
Lisbon and Northampton differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $2,442 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 127% lower in Northampton. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Northampton?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,099 in Northampton. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Northampton?
Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $1,601 in Northampton. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Northampton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,442 in Northampton, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Northampton. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Northampton?
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.
Is Lisbon or Northampton safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Northampton are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Northampton?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Northampton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?