Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salford Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salford

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,552 in Salford.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,719 in Salford.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,887 in Salford.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 13% less than in Salford, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Salford 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$16.29 £12.13

-2.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$108 £80.7

-40.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$12.71 £9.47

-17.31%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.03 £3.00

-28.78%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.80 £1.34

24.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.24 £0.92

20.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$4.50 £3.35

-22.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.64 £1.97

46.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.79 £1.34

-36.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.04 £1.52

-14.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.20 £1.64

-20.00%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$5.23 £3.89

-38.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$4.43 £3.30

204.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$13.81 £10.29

-42.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$14.06 £10.48

12.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.67 £1.99

-13.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.93 £1.44

-11.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.82 £2.10

-28.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.58 £2.67

-31.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.20 £0.90

53.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.78 £0.58

156.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.87 £0.65

121.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.72 £1.28

-54.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$21.11 £15.73

-68.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$11.43 £8.51

-49.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.46 £1.83

-44.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.12 £2.33

-4.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.33 £2.48

-28.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$109 £81.5

-58.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$2.90 £2.16

47.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.52 £1.13

-46.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$22.95 £17.10

-20.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.05 £1.53

0.49%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$38.3K £28.5K

-10.42%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$41.3K £30.8K

-4.92%

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

$148 €127

$404 £301

-63.41%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$20.10 £14.98

2.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$28.85 £21.49

37.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$45.82 £34.14

4.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$24.91 £18.56

-63.15%

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

$614 €529

$1,613 £1,202

-61.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$18.2K £13.6K

-11.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$122 £90.9

-14.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$81.2 £60.5

-48.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$66.8 £49.79

40.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$99.6 £74.2

20.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$1,362 £1,014

19.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$1,097 £817

14.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$2,302 £1,715

31.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$1,765 £1,315

14.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$3,236 £2,411

-50.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.63

-32.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Salford: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,362 in Salford. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salford pays 102% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $108 in Salford for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $318 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 Salford: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Salford differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,552 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Salford earns 102% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,362 in Salford. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $1,613 in Salford. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Salford. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,552 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.

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 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.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Salford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.