Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Swindon Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Swindon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $2,321 in Swindon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $3,344 in Swindon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $4,367 in Swindon.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 3% less than in Swindon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Swindon 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$20.77 £15.44

-23.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$82.5 £61.3

-23.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$9.66 £7.18

7.45%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$4.07 £3.03

-31.45%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.86 £1.38

25.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.48 £1.10

6.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$5.11 £3.80

-32.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$4.81 £3.57

-18.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.40 £1.04

-22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.37 £1.02

29.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.55 £1.15

10.32%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.56 £2.65

-11.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$8.45 £6.29

61.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$7.93 £5.89

1.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$13.24 £9.84

17.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$3.05 £2.27

-24.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.50 £1.12

9.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.80 £2.08

-30.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$3.28 £2.44

-23.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.44 £1.07

24.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.77 £1.31

13.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.95 £0.71

107.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.77 £1.32

-52.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$21.65 £16.09

-68.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$15.54 £11.55

-63.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$3.09 £2.30

-55.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$3.31 £2.46

-8.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$3.18 £2.37

-28.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$95.3 £70.9

-52.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$5.99 £4.45

-28.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.58 £1.18

-46.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$14.76 £10.97

23.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.87 £1.39

6.42%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$38.5K £28.7K

-9.08%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$39.8K £29.6K

-0.57%

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

$146 €126

$224 £166

-34.64%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$16.62 £12.36

23.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$43.82 £32.58

-11.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$35.64 £26.50

37.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$24.11 £17.92

-21.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$13.50 £10.03

-29.48%

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

$608 €524

$1,227 £913

-50.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$5,474 £4,070

201.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$57.1 £42.43

82.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$38.57 £28.68

9.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$86.0 £63.9

7.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$97.3 £72.4

23.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$1,223 £909

32.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$1,142 £849

11.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$1,901 £1,414

60.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$1,706 £1,268

17.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$2,707 £2,013

183.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$3,054 £2,270

41.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$3,012 £2,239

-47.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.53

-31.10%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Swindon: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $1,223 in Swindon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Swindon pays 90% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $82.0 in Swindon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $291 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 Swindon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Swindon differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $2,321 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Swindon earns 90% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $1,223 in Swindon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $1,227 in Swindon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Swindon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,263 in Lisbon versus $2,321 in Swindon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Swindon. 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 Swindon 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 3% less than in Swindon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.