Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Roubaix Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Roubaix

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,686 in Roubaix.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,559 in Roubaix.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $3,432 in Roubaix.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 33% more expensive than Roubaix, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 67% above, Roubaix 26% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$17.91 €15.28

-12.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$69.0 €58.8

-8.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$13.79 €11.76

-25.16%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$3.80 €3.24

-26.05%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$3.31 €2.83

-29.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$2.09 €1.78

-27.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$8.31 €7.09

-59.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$5.75 €4.90

-32.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.18 €1.01

-8.47%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.67 €1.42

4.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$3.08 €2.62

-43.18%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$2.14 €1.82

44.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$13.25 €11.30

0.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$9.32 €7.95

-15.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$13.73 €11.71

16.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.02 €0.87

134.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.18 €1.01

45.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.27 €1.94

-13.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$2.90 €2.47

-12.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.79 €0.67

126.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.90 €0.76

118.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$1.59 €1.35

23.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.22 €0.19

281.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$12.03 €10.26

-43.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$8.85 €7.55

-33.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.39 €2.04

-42.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$4.24 €3.62

-31.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$1.98 €1.69

15.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$48.34 €41.24

-3.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$2.40 €2.05

71.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.82 €1.56

-55.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$40.82 €34.82

-53.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$2.00 €1.70

4.50%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$28.8K €24.6K

21.79%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$29.3K €25.0K

35.58%

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

$150 €128

$180 €153

-16.77%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$22.88 €19.51

-10.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$29.68 €25.31

31.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$37.21 €31.74

33.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$18.31 €15.62

0.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$11.57 €9.87

-20.48%

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

$624 €533

$571 €487

9.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$8,620 €7,353

84.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$89.2 €76.1

14.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$36.43 €31.07

12.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$84.2 €71.8

13.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$105 €89.3

15.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$779 €665

112.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$626 €534

96.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$1,414 €1,206

115.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$1,077 €919

91.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$4,268 €3,641

84.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$3,111 €2,653

38.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$1,879 €1,602

-16.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.69

3.25%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Roubaix: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $779 in Roubaix. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roubaix pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $69 in Roubaix. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $264, with Roubaix 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 Roubaix: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Roubaix differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,686 including rent). Roubaix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Roubaix earns 20% 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $779 in Roubaix. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $571 in Roubaix. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,686 in Roubaix versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Roubaix but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Roubaix 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 Roubaix 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 Roubaix gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.