Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Scunthorpe

For one person, living is cheaper in Scunthorpe: $2,096 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Scunthorpe
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,096
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Scunthorpe

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,096 in Scunthorpe.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Scunthorpe $2,096

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $2,819 in Scunthorpe.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Scunthorpe $2,819

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $3,541 in Scunthorpe.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Scunthorpe $3,541

Living in Lisbon is roughly 5% more expensive than in Scunthorpe, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Scunthorpe 55% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Scunthorpe
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$13.09 £9.82
30.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$89.2 £66.9
-30.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$10.45 £7.84
5.45%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$4.03 £3.03
-22.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$1.93 £1.44
17.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.22 £0.92
42.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$5.18 £3.89
-33.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$6.69 £5.02
-44.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Scunthorpe
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.46 £1.09
-19.86%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.58 £1.18
17.72%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$1.55 £1.16
-0.65%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$3.75 £2.81
8.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$5.36 £4.02
140.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$5.19 £3.89
52.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$7.17 £5.38
146.03%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.28 £1.71
-0.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.88 £1.41
-6.91%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$2.42 £1.81
-21.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$4.73 £3.55
-45.88%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$0.84 £0.63
120.24%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$0.91 £0.69
116.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.02 £0.77
42.16%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$1.39 £1.04
-44.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$17.81 £13.36
-62.32%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$8.22 £6.17
-31.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$3.94 £2.95
-65.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$4.70 £3.52
-55.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Scunthorpe
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$3.64 £2.73
-36.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
$96.4 £72.3
-53.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$4.49 £3.37
-12.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$2.72 £2.04
-61.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$8.01 £6.01
114.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$2.10 £1.58
4.29%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$38.3K £28.8K
-11.87%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$40.8K £30.6K
-6.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Scunthorpe
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$202 £151
-18.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$16.90 £12.68
9.35%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$45.68 £34.27
-27.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Scunthorpe
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$95.1 £71.3
-51.75%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$8.73 £6.55
11.68%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Scunthorpe
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$1,643 £1,232
-58.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$16.4K £12.3K
7.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Scunthorpe
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$39.68 £29.77
161.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$20.18 £15.14
128.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$77.2 £57.9
29.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$78.1 £58.6
59.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Scunthorpe
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$1,216 £912
30.71%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$1,015 £762
15.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$1,284 £963
122.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$1,095 £821
82.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$5,464 £4,099
42.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$4,050 £3,039
9.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Scunthorpe
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
$1,942 £1,457
-17.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.61
-31.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Scunthorpe: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Scunthorpe
$1K 13.1% $154
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Scunthorpe
$242 11.5% $31
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Scunthorpe
$236 4.5% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Scunthorpe
$264 22.8% $49
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Scunthorpe
$97 42.5% $72
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Scunthorpe
$113 72.2% $47
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Scunthorpe
$129 105% $66

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,216 in Scunthorpe. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Scunthorpe pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $89.0 in Scunthorpe. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $242, with Scunthorpe cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇧 Scunthorpe
🕒 Local time
10:19 10:19 AM
10:19 10:19 AM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
81,576
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 23, 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 Scunthorpe 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Scunthorpe

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

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 Scunthorpe: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Scunthorpe?
Lisbon and Scunthorpe differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $2,096 including rent). Scunthorpe 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 21% lower in Scunthorpe. 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 Scunthorpe?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,216 in Scunthorpe. 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 Scunthorpe?
Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $1,643 in Scunthorpe. 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 13% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $2,096 in Scunthorpe versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Scunthorpe but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Scunthorpe the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Scunthorpe?
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 Scunthorpe safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Scunthorpe 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 Scunthorpe?
Expats usually find Scunthorpe gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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