Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rochdale Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rochdale

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Lisbon versus $2,163 in Rochdale.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Lisbon versus $3,332 in Rochdale.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,397 in Lisbon versus $4,501 in Rochdale.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 4% more expensive than Rochdale, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Rochdale 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.46

$21.48 £15.91

-26.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.8

$95.8 £71.0

-32.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.82

$9.78 £7.25

6.03%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$4.79 £3.55

-39.67%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$2.13 £1.58

4.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$1.71 £1.27

-9.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.88

$6.60 £4.89

-48.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.32

$6.19 £4.58

-37.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.67 £1.24

-32.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$1.79 £1.33

0.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.24 £1.66

-21.88%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.70

$3.95 £2.93

-19.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.49

$8.54 £6.33

58.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.63

$8.74 £6.47

-10.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.32

$15.27 £11.32

2.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$2.84 £2.11

-19.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.72 £1.27

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$2.50 £1.85

-22.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$3.66 £2.71

-31.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$2.09 £1.55

-14.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$1.75 £1.30

17.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.65

$1.26 £0.93

53.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.42 £1.05

-42.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.66

$19.26 £14.27

-65.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.92

$10.15 £7.52

-42.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.53 £1.88

-47.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$3.48 £2.58

-16.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.00

$2.67 £1.98

-11.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.89

$54.7 £40.55

-16.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.58

$4.09 £3.03

2.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.49 £1.10

-45.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.91

$16.12 £11.95

16.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.91 £1.41

9.42%

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

$34.6K €29.5K

$38.6K £28.6K

-10.29%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$38.6K £28.6K

2.76%

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

$146 €124

$291 £216

-49.88%

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

$20.84 €17.73

$18.05 £13.37

15.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.85

$42.57 £31.54

-6.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.35

$40.18 £29.78

20.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.04

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.72

$13.77 £10.20

-34.13%

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

$618 €526

$1,649 £1,222

-62.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$16.0K £11.9K

1.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.0

$89.3 £66.2

17.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.50

$41.45 £30.72

-2.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.8

$89.7 £66.5

4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$105 £77.9

16.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,365

$1,030 £763

55.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,073

$885 £656

42.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,608

$1,370 £1,015

123.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,721 £1,276

16.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,555

$2,817 £2,087

173.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,716

$2,856 £2,117

52.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,394

$2,420 £1,793

-32.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.76

-33.85%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Rochdale: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $1,030 in Rochdale. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rochdale pays 48% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64 in Lisbon vs $96 in Rochdale 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 Rochdale: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Rochdale differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,258 vs $2,163 including rent). Rochdale is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rochdale earns 48% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $1,030 in Rochdale. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $618 in Lisbon versus $1,649 in Rochdale. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,163 in Rochdale versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rochdale but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rochdale 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 Rochdale 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 Rochdale gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.