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: $2,258 in Lisbon versus $1,985 in Scarborough.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Lisbon versus $2,840 in Scarborough.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,397 in Lisbon versus $3,696 in Scarborough.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 14% more expensive than Scarborough, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Scarborough 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.46

$14.49 £10.73

9.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.8

$69.5 £51.5

-7.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.82

$10.20 £7.56

1.67%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$4.41 £3.27

-34.47%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$2.17 £1.61

2.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$0.96 £0.71

61.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.88

$5.82 £4.32

-41.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.32

$4.76 £3.52

-18.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.50 £1.11

-25.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$1.63 £1.21

10.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.42 £1.79

-27.69%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.70

$3.78 £2.80

-16.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.49

$8.98 £6.66

50.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.63

$8.21 £6.09

-5.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.32

$9.40 £6.97

66.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$3.41 £2.53

-33.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.45 £1.08

17.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$1.43 £1.06

34.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$2.17 £1.60

16.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$1.16 £0.86

54.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$1.51 £1.12

35.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.65

$1.05 £0.78

84.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.82 £1.35

-55.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.66

$11.52 £8.53

-42.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.92

$10.77 £7.98

-46.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.81 £2.08

-52.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$2.68 £1.99

8.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.00

$3.05 £2.26

-22.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.89

$96.2 £71.3

-52.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.58

$4.26 £3.16

-1.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.19 £0.88

-31.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.91

$16.34 £12.10

14.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.99 £1.48

5.03%

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

$34.6K €29.5K

$36.2K £26.8K

-4.35%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$39.0K £28.9K

1.70%

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

$146 €124

$281 £208

-48.01%

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

$20.84 €17.73

$16.02 £11.87

30.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.85

$33.93 £25.14

17.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.35

$33.93 £25.15

43.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.04

$12.88 £9.55

46.35%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.72

$10.96 £8.12

-17.24%

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

$618 €526

$1,738 £1,288

-64.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$18.3K £13.6K

-11.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.0

$68.2 £50.5

53.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.50

$36.70 £27.19

10.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.8

$113 £83.5

-16.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$89.3 £66.1

37.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,365

$895 £663

79.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,073

$858 £636

46.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,608

$1,586 £1,175

93.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,199 £888

67.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,555

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,716

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,394

$2,091 £1,549

-21.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.45

-30.09%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Scarborough: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $895 in Scarborough. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scarborough pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64 in Lisbon vs $69 in Scarborough for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $268 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 14% in total monthly costs ($2,258 vs $1,985 including rent). Scarborough is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Scarborough earns 28% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $895 in Scarborough. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $618 in Lisbon versus $1,738 in Scarborough. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,985 in Scarborough versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Scarborough but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Scarborough 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 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 Scarborough gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.