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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $2,380 in Surrey.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $3,617 in Surrey.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $4,853 in Surrey.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 5% less than in Surrey, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Surrey 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$18.12 CA$25.13

-3.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$57.2 CA$79.3

12.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$10.60 CA$14.70

9.91%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.67 CA$5.08

-11.17%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.10 CA$2.91

18.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.67 CA$2.31

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$5.91 CA$8.20

-41.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$6.10 CA$8.47

-41.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$2.48 CA$3.44

-52.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.07 CA$2.86

-5.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$3.72 CA$5.16

-58.06%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.21 CA$4.46

24.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$10.05 CA$13.94

32.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$10.50 CA$14.57

-19.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$20.41 CA$28.31

-10.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.30 CA$4.57

-29.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.36 CA$1.88

27.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$3.08 CA$4.27

-37.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.07 CA$4.26

-14.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.66 CA$3.69

-28.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.17 CA$3.01

-2.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$2.03 CA$2.81

-29.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.86 CA$2.58

-56.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$14.22 CA$19.72

-50.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$14.35 CA$19.90

-58.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.60 CA$3.60

-47.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.31 CA$4.59

-35.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.65 CA$3.68

-10.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$112 CA$155

-58.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$2.73 CA$3.78

53.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.61 CA$2.24

-31.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$28.60 CA$39.66

-39.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.34 CA$1.86

67.91%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$28.2K CA$39.1K

22.28%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$19.4K CA$26.8K

115.02%

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

$171 €147

$190 CA$264

-10.20%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$37.56 CA$52.1

-49.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$66.9 CA$92.8

-48.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$35.12 CA$48.71

41.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$25.61 CA$35.51

-23.82%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$12.85 CA$17.82

-21.40%

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

$699 €603

$863 CA$1,197

-18.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$12.3K CA$17.0K

45.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$57.4 CA$79.6

82.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$63.1 CA$87.5

-23.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$102 CA$141

0.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$91.3 CA$127

40.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$1,341 CA$1,859

23.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$1,061 CA$1,471

15.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$2,773 CA$3,846

5.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$2,211 CA$3,066

-8.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$9,645 CA$13.4K

-15.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$8,562 CA$11.9K

-45.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$3,107 CA$4,310

-47.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.87

-22.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Surrey: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $1,341 in Surrey. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surrey pays 92% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $57.0 in Surrey. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $360, 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 Surrey: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Surrey differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $2,380 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 92% lower in Surrey. 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $1,341 in Surrey. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $863 in Surrey. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Surrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,268 in Lisbon versus $2,380 in Surrey, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Surrey. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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 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 5% less than in Surrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.