Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salford

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,342 in Salford, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Salford
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,342
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Salford

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 Salford actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,342 in Salford.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Salford $2,342

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $3,451 in Salford.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Salford $3,451

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,559 in Salford.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Salford $4,559

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 6% less than in Salford, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Salford 73% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Salford
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$17.37 £13.03
-1.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$105 £78.7
-40.63%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$12.35 £9.27
-10.77%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$3.93 £2.94
-20.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$1.77 £1.33
28.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.21 £0.91
43.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$5.77 £4.33
-40.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$4.01 £3.01
-6.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Salford
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.67 £1.25
-29.94%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.96 £1.47
-5.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$2.15 £1.61
-28.37%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$4.49 £3.37
-9.58%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$4.26 £3.19
203.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$10.27 £7.70
-23.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$14.06 £10.55
25.46%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$4.37 £3.28
-48.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.48 £1.11
18.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.93 £1.45
-2.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$3.37 £2.53
-24.04%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.53 £1.15
20.92%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.91 £1.43
3.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$0.90 £0.67
61.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$1.42 £1.07
-45.77%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$23.97 £17.98
-72.01%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$11.42 £8.57
-50.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$2.95 £2.21
-53.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$2.97 £2.23
-28.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Salford
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$2.72 £2.04
-14.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
$105 £78.5
-57.52%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$4.24 £3.18
-6.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$2.24 £1.68
-53.13%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$29.41 £22.06
-41.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.87 £1.40
17.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$37.9K £28.4K
-10.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$40.4K £30.3K
-5.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Salford
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$384 £288
-57.34%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$19.88 £14.92
-7.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$20.35 £15.27
61.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Salford
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$41.13 £30.86
11.52%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$17.73 £13.30
-45.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Salford
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$1,341 £1,006
-48.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$22.4K £16.8K
-21.38%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Salford
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$66.0 £49.54
57.11%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$47.07 £35.31
-1.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$67.0 £50.3
48.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$80.8 £60.6
54.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Salford
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$1,221 £916
30.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$1,024 £768
14.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$2,090 £1,568
36.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$1,676 £1,257
18.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$4,508 £3,382
72.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$3,346 £2,510
32.05%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Salford
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
$4,706 £3,530
-66.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.54
-30.51%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Salford: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Salford
$1K 12.4% $145
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Salford
$297 8.8% $24
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Salford
$272 9.9% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Salford
$424 97.1% $209
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Salford
$117 30.3% $51
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Salford
$77 17.1% $11
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Salford
$131 108% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,221 in Salford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salford pays 194% 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 $105 in Salford for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $297 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇧 Salford
🕒 Local time
18:48 6:48 PM
18:48 6:48 PM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
258,834
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 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 Salford 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Salford

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 Salford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Salford?
Lisbon and Salford differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $2,342 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 194% lower in Salford. 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 Salford?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,221 in Salford. 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 Salford?
Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $1,341 in Salford. 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 9% higher in Salford. 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 $2,342 in Salford, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Salford. 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 Salford?
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 Salford safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Salford 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 Salford?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Salford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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