Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Scarborough Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Scarborough

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,549 in Scarborough.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $3,496 in Scarborough.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $4,443 in Scarborough.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 10% less than in Scarborough, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Scarborough 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.23

$17.54 CA$24.38

0.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.4

$71.7 CA$99.6

-12.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.03

$10.85 CA$15.09

6.73%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.68

$4.09 CA$5.69

-24.21%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.10 CA$2.92

18.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.51

$1.41 CA$1.96

23.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.01

$6.44 CA$8.95

-45.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €2.98

$7.01 CA$9.75

-50.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €0.99

$2.78 CA$3.86

-58.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.65

$2.63 CA$3.65

-27.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.59 CA$3.60

-42.08%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.45

$3.85 CA$5.35

3.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.51

$10.07 CA$14.00

31.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$11.16 CA$15.52

-28.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.62

$13.51 CA$18.78

33.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.04

$3.51 CA$4.88

-33.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$1.20 CA$1.68

45.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.61

$3.41 CA$4.74

-45.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.21

$4.10 CA$5.70

-37.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.85 CA$2.58

-0.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.82

$1.53 CA$2.13

37.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$2.36 CA$3.28

-36.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.49 CA$2.07

-44.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.15

$14.61 CA$20.32

-51.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.11

$12.78 CA$17.77

-53.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.14

$2.23 CA$3.09

-41.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.85

$2.54 CA$3.53

-16.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.04

$2.41 CA$3.35

-2.07%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.36

$109 CA$152

-57.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.53

$3.02 CA$4.20

35.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.27 CA$1.77

-10.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.80

$22.04 CA$30.63

-22.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.00

$1.22 CA$1.70

89.34%

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

$34.1K €29.5K

$26.9K CA$37.4K

26.95%

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

$41.4K €35.8K

$20.7K CA$28.7K

100.22%

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

$169 €146

$145 CA$201

16.62%

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

$19.33 €16.74

$36.27 CA$50.4

-46.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.01

$48.71 CA$67.7

-31.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.28

$35.49 CA$49.33

37.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.82

$35.78 CA$49.73

-45.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.28

$13.01 CA$18.08

-26.44%

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

$696 €602

$788 CA$1,096

-11.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.0K

$10.8K CA$15.0K

61.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.2

$53.9 CA$74.9

95.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.34

$41.60 CA$57.8

14.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.0

$86.1 CA$120

16.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$106 CA$147

17.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,439

$1,732 CA$2,407

-4.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,079

$1,374 CA$1,910

-9.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,566

$2,128 CA$2,958

39.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,773

$1,771 CA$2,462

15.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,782

$7,645 CA$10.6K

2.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,865

$6,108 CA$8,491

-26.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,412

$3,020 CA$4,199

-45.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.51

-16.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,732 in Scarborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 85% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $72.0 in Scarborough for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $343 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 Scarborough: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Scarborough differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $2,549 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 85% lower in Scarborough. 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 $1,732 in Scarborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $788 in Scarborough. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 24% higher in Scarborough. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Scarborough 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 11% less than in Scarborough. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.