Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Retford Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Retford

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,159 in Retford.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,360 in Retford.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $3,560 in Retford.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 100% more expensive than in Retford, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Retford is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$15.17 £11.22

14.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.5

$66.7 £49.37

-5.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.81

$7.35 £5.44

54.97%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$4.11 £3.04

-22.38%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$1.82 £1.35

34.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.84 £1.36

-4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$4.38 £3.24

-18.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$4.32 £3.20

-21.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.84 £1.36

-32.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.92 £1.42

3.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$1.40 £1.03

8.57%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$4.86 £3.59

-16.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$11.40 £8.43

18.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$4.19 £3.10

100.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.71

$12.76 £9.44

43.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.38 £1.02

65.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.37 £1.01

27.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.35 £1.00

37.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$1.73 £1.28

52.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.46 £1.08

31.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.56 £1.15

33.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.42 £0.31

242.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.60 £1.19

-47.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$23.60 £17.46

-71.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$7.96 £5.89

-28.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.72 £1.27

-19.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.09 £1.54

6.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$2.76 £2.04

-13.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.27

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$13.64 £10.09

-69.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$3.99 £2.95

-71.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.22

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.07 £1.53

12.08%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$40.4K £29.9K

-12.64%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$44.4K £32.9K

-6.75%

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

$170 €147

$353 £261

-51.72%

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

$19.34 €16.65

$28.89 £21.38

-33.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.96

$47.34 £35.02

-28.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.40

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.13

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$16.50 £12.21

-39.88%

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

$717 €617

$1,986 £1,469

-63.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$24.6K £18.2K

-28.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$87.5 £64.7

19.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.41

$61.4 £45.46

-23.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$112 £83.0

-7.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$160 £118

-22.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,569

$1,146 £847

160.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$1,100 £814

81.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,737

$2,197 £1,626

256.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,010

$2,039 £1,508

128.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,746 £1,292

-9.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.3

-28.49%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Retford: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Retford pays 10% 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 $67.0 in Retford. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $242, with Retford 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 Retford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Retford differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,159 including rent). Retford is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Retford. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $1,159 in Retford – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,159 in Retford versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Retford but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Retford 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 Retford 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 Retford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.