Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Poole Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Poole

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $2,536 in Poole.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $3,758 in Poole.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $4,981 in Poole.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 11% less than in Poole, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Poole 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$20.49 £15.24

-22.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$108 £80.1

-41.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$9.79 £7.28

6.03%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$4.85 £3.61

-42.47%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$2.56 £1.90

-8.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.70 £1.26

-7.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$7.62 £5.67

-54.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$6.95 £5.16

-43.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.66 £1.23

-34.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.27 £0.95

39.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.60 £1.93

-34.23%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.29 £2.45

-4.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$9.86 £7.33

38.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$6.92 £5.14

15.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$13.36 £9.93

16.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.69 £2.00

-14.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.27 £0.94

29.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.33 £1.73

-16.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.21 £1.64

13.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.55 £1.15

15.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.45 £1.08

38.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.98 £0.73

101.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.45 £1.08

-42.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$17.93 £13.33

-62.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$9.42 £7.00

-39.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.59 £1.93

-46.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.51 £1.86

20.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$3.99 £2.97

-43.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$77.8 £57.9

-41.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$4.16 £3.09

3.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.69 £1.26

-49.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$21.93 £16.31

-16.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.98 £1.47

0.51%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$37.8K £28.1K

-7.28%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$38.6K £28.7K

2.47%

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

$146 €126

$335 £249

-56.41%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$16.45 £12.23

24.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$44.63 £33.18

-12.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$29.60 £22.01

65.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$22.39 £16.65

-57.48%

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

$608 €524

$2,339 £1,739

-74.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$16.3K £12.1K

1.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$85.9 £63.9

20.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$40.17 £29.87

4.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$90.9 £67.6

1.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$85.7 £63.8

39.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$1,182 £879

37.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$1,223 £909

3.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$2,395 £1,780

27.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$2,156 £1,603

-6.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$2,093 £1,556

106.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$3,242 £2,410

-51.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.45

-30.09%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Poole: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $1,182 in Poole. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Poole pays 105% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $108 in Poole. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $264, with Poole cheaper for home cooking.

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 Poole: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Poole differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $2,536 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Poole earns 105% less. 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $1,182 in Poole. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $2,339 in Poole. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Poole pay roughly 2% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,263 in Lisbon versus $2,536 in Poole, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Poole. 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 Poole 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 12% less than in Poole. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.