Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salisbury

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,579 in Salisbury, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Salisbury
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,579
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Salisbury

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,579 in Salisbury.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Salisbury $2,579

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $3,592 in Salisbury.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Salisbury $3,592

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,604 in Salisbury.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Salisbury $4,604

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 15% less than in Salisbury, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Salisbury 90% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Salisbury
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$26.82 £20.12
-36.47%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$91.0 £68.3
-31.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$12.45 £9.34
-11.49%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$4.78 £3.59
-34.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$3.32 £2.49
-31.63%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$2.30 £1.72
-24.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$5.96 £4.47
-42.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$4.61 £3.46
-18.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Salisbury
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.67 £1.25
-29.94%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.05 £0.79
77.14%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.79 £1.34
-13.97%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$3.22 £2.42
26.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$9.17 £6.88
40.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$8.49 £6.37
-6.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$14.39 £10.79
22.59%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.56 £1.17
44.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.22 £0.92
43.44%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$4.10 £3.08
-53.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$4.23 £3.18
-39.48%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.12 £1.59
-12.74%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.08 £0.81
82.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$2.05 £1.54
-29.27%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$1.57 £1.18
-50.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$23.75 £17.82
-71.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$12.02 £9.01
-52.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$3.86 £2.90
-64.51%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$3.87 £2.90
-45.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Salisbury
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$4.07 £3.05
-43.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
$84.9 £63.7
-47.64%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$7.00 £5.25
-43.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$1.69 £1.27
-37.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$21.28 £15.96
-19.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.97 £1.48
11.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$38.8K £29.1K
-12.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$40.6K £30.5K
-5.75%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Salisbury
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$384 £288
-57.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$15.69 £11.77
17.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$35.71 £26.79
-7.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Salisbury
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$93.0 £69.8
-50.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
$19.81 £14.87
-5.70%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$10.03 £7.53
-2.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Salisbury
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$1,207 £905
-43.32%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$5,390 £4,043
227.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Salisbury
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$66.5 £49.85
56.12%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$44.42 £33.32
4.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$82.6 £61.9
20.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$88.0 £66.0
41.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Salisbury
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$1,209 £907
31.43%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$1,117 £838
4.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$2,033 £1,525
40.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$1,495 £1,122
33.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$4,815 £3,613
-8.25%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Salisbury
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
$3,706 £2,781
-56.83%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.59
-31.13%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Salisbury: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Salisbury
$1.1K 4.5% $52
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Salisbury
$300 9.8% $27
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Salisbury
$371 49.8% $123
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Salisbury
$435 102% $220
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Salisbury
$127 24.8% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Salisbury
$113 72.9% $48
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Salisbury
$117 85.3% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,209 in Salisbury. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salisbury pays 132% 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 $91.0 in Salisbury for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $300 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇧 Salisbury
🕒 Local time
06:22 6:22 AM
06:22 6:22 AM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
45,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 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 Salisbury 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Salisbury

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Lisbon vs Salisbury: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Salisbury?
Lisbon and Salisbury differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $2,579 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 132% lower in Salisbury. 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 Salisbury?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,209 in Salisbury. 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 Salisbury?
Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $1,207 in Salisbury. 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 10% higher in Salisbury. 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 $2,579 in Salisbury, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Salisbury. 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 Salisbury?
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 Salisbury safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Salisbury 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 Salisbury?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Salisbury. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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