Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Surrey Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Surrey

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $2,759 in Surrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $4,117 in Surrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $5,476 in Surrey.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 19% less than in Surrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 67% above, Surrey 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$18.54 CA$25.40

-15.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$82.1 CA$112

-23.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$10.98 CA$15.05

-6.01%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$4.24 CA$5.80

-33.73%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$2.05 CA$2.81

13.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.82 CA$2.49

-17.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$5.96 CA$8.16

-43.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$6.90 CA$9.45

-43.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$2.65 CA$3.63

-59.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.70 CA$3.69

-35.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$5.58 CA$7.64

-68.64%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$3.60 CA$4.93

-13.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$10.36 CA$14.19

28.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$11.66 CA$15.97

-32.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$24.34 CA$33.35

-34.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$3.37 CA$4.61

-29.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.33 CA$1.83

29.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.98 CA$4.08

-33.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$3.36 CA$4.61

-24.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$2.34 CA$3.20

-23.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$2.01 CA$2.75

-1.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$2.51 CA$3.44

-21.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$1.92 CA$2.64

-56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$14.77 CA$20.23

-53.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$14.67 CA$20.10

-60.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$3.80 CA$5.21

-63.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$4.00 CA$5.47

-27.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$3.16 CA$4.33

-27.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$127 CA$174

-63.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$2.83 CA$3.87

45.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.54 CA$2.11

-47.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$29.06 CA$39.81

-34.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.36 CA$1.86

53.68%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$25.3K CA$34.7K

38.83%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$21.0K CA$28.8K

88.96%

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

$150 €128

$189 CA$259

-20.92%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$42.09 CA$57.7

-51.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$66.3 CA$90.9

-40.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$43.84 CA$60.1

13.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$18.37 CA$25.17

0.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$12.55 CA$17.20

-26.69%

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

$624 €533

$910 CA$1,247

-31.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$12.4K CA$17.0K

28.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$54.9 CA$75.2

86.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$54.3 CA$74.4

-24.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$103 CA$142

-7.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$96.8 CA$133

25.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$1,658 CA$2,271

-0.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$1,404 CA$1,923

-12.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$3,055 CA$4,185

-0.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$2,407 CA$3,297

-14.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$10.3K CA$14.2K

-23.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$8,277 CA$11.3K

-48.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$3,141 CA$4,303

-50.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.54

-41.74%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Surrey: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $1,658 in Surrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surrey pays 101% 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 in Lisbon vs $82 in Surrey for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $407 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 Surrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Surrey differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $2,759 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Surrey earns 101% 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $1,658 in Surrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $910 in Surrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Surrey. 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 Surrey 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 23% less than in Surrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.