Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sarnia Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sarnia

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,002 in Sarnia.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,834 in Sarnia.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,666 in Sarnia.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 15% more expensive than in Sarnia, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Sarnia 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.23

$13.79 CA$19.16

27.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.4

$46.65 CA$64.9

34.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.03

$10.15 CA$14.12

14.09%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.68

$3.03 CA$4.21

2.31%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.98 CA$2.75

25.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.51

$1.40 CA$1.94

24.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.01

$4.20 CA$5.84

-17.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €2.98

$5.73 CA$7.96

-39.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €0.99

$2.04 CA$2.84

-43.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.65

$2.39 CA$3.32

-20.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.41 CA$3.35

-37.76%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.45

$2.82 CA$3.92

41.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.51

$11.46 CA$15.93

15.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$11.16 CA$15.51

-28.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.62

$14.21 CA$19.75

26.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$3.76 CA$5.23

-37.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.21 CA$1.68

44.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$3.60 CA$5.00

-48.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.21

$3.60 CA$5.00

-29.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.39 CA$1.94

32.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.89 CA$2.63

11.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.74 CA$2.42

-14.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.27 CA$1.77

-35.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.15

$12.38 CA$17.21

-42.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.11

$10.24 CA$14.24

-42.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$2.51 CA$3.50

-47.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.78 CA$3.86

-23.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.04

$2.37 CA$3.29

-0.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.36

$56.8 CA$78.9

-17.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.53

$2.48 CA$3.44

64.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.76 CA$2.45

-35.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.80

$28.60 CA$39.76

-40.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.14 CA$1.59

102.63%

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

$34.1K €29.5K

$28.3K CA$39.3K

20.76%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$19.1K CA$26.5K

116.86%

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

$169 €146

$145 CA$201

16.31%

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

$19.33 €16.74

$30.23 CA$42.02

-36.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.01

$47.48 CA$66.0

-29.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.28

$23.60 CA$32.81

106.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.82

$17.71 CA$24.62

9.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.28

$11.60 CA$16.13

-17.50%

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

$696 €602

$360 CA$500

93.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.0K

$16.4K CA$22.8K

5.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.2

$55.4 CA$77.0

90.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.34

$30.70 CA$42.67

55.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.0

$67.6 CA$93.9

48.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$74.8 CA$104

66.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,439

$1,390 CA$1,933

19.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,079

$1,035 CA$1,439

20.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,566

$2,571 CA$3,574

15.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,773

$1,511 CA$2,100

35.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,782

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,865

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,412

$3,067 CA$4,264

-46.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.09

-25.74%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sarnia: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,390 in Sarnia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarnia pays 88% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $47.00 in Sarnia. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $325, with Lisbon 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 Sarnia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sarnia differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $2,002 including rent). Sarnia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 88% lower in Sarnia. 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,390 in Sarnia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $360 in Sarnia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,002 in Sarnia versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sarnia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sarnia 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 Sarnia 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 Sarnia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.