Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Swansea Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Swansea

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $2,229 in Swansea.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $3,242 in Swansea.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $4,256 in Swansea.

Monthly costs are close between Lisbon and Swansea; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Swansea 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$24.06 £17.83

-32.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$68.8 £51.0

-6.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$10.03 £7.43

3.49%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$5.04 £3.73

-45.04%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$2.35 £1.74

-4.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.17 £0.87

34.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$6.00 £4.45

-41.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$7.01 £5.19

-42.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.97 £1.46

-45.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.85 £1.37

-5.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.73 £1.28

0.58%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$3.70 £2.74

-14.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$8.36 £6.20

60.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$8.91 £6.60

-10.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$12.97 £9.61

24.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.97 £2.20

-23.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.27 £0.94

35.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$2.29 £1.70

-15.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$3.46 £2.56

-26.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.12 £1.57

-13.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.70 £1.26

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.03 £0.77

92.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.88 £1.39

-54.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$22.74 £16.85

-69.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$10.62 £7.87

-45.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.69 £1.99

-49.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$3.94 £2.92

-26.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$4.17 £3.09

-45.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$96.1 £71.2

-51.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$4.10 £3.04

-0.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.47 £1.83

-66.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$34.25 £25.38

-46.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.97 £1.46

2.03%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$38.8K £28.7K

-9.04%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$48.9K £36.2K

-21.25%

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

$145 €124

$316 £234

-53.98%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$15.57 £11.54

34.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$45.29 £33.56

-11.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$36.21 £26.83

34.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$16.47 £12.21

13.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$10.29 £7.62

-11.95%

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

$607 €519

$1,520 £1,127

-60.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$18.2K £13.5K

-10.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$57.1 £42.33

83.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$40.23 £29.81

1.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$125 £92.3

-24.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$85.0 £63.0

39.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$1,122 £831

43.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$899 £666

37.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,673 £1,240

82.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$1,404 £1,040

46.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$3,691 £2,735

108.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$2,782 £2,062

53.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$3,144 £2,330

-49.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.1

-37.54%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Swansea: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $1,122 in Swansea. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Swansea pays 98% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $69.0 in Swansea for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $296 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 Swansea: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, Swansea earns 98% 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 $1,122 in Swansea. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 105% less than in Swansea. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Swansea. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,227 in Lisbon versus $2,229 in Swansea, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Swansea. 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 Swansea are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Swansea on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.