Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Thames Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Thames

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,908 in Thames.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,931 in Thames.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,954 in Thames.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 20% more expensive than in Thames, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Thames 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$15.02 NZ$25.72

7.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$78.1 NZ$134

-18.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$9.53 NZ$16.32

8.29%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.44 NZ$5.88

-17.73%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.37 NZ$4.06

-3.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.27 NZ$3.89

-30.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$7.36 NZ$12.60

-53.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$7.20 NZ$12.32

-44.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.81 NZ$3.09

-39.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.05 NZ$3.51

-14.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.00 NZ$3.42

-12.00%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$6.70 NZ$11.47

-52.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$8.91 NZ$15.26

48.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$9.69 NZ$16.59

-17.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$12.94 NZ$22.16

20.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.79 NZ$4.78

-15.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.26 NZ$3.87

-24.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$3.25 NZ$5.57

-38.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$4.08 NZ$6.99

-40.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.07 NZ$3.54

-14.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.66 NZ$2.83

22.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.96 NZ$3.36

-2.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.29 NZ$2.20

-34.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$24.89 NZ$42.62

-73.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$10.51 NZ$18.00

-46.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.96 NZ$5.06

-55.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.99 NZ$6.84

-25.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.07 NZ$3.54

10.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$63.6 NZ$109

-28.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$2.07 NZ$3.55

104.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.02 NZ$3.45

-59.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$35.06 NZ$60.0

-47.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.65 NZ$2.82

26.06%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$28.6K NZ$49.0K

21.04%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$22.2K NZ$38.0K

76.52%

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

$148 €130

$141 NZ$241

5.04%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$30.17 NZ$51.7

-32.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$49.69 NZ$85.1

-20.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$36.13 NZ$61.9

32.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$12.14 NZ$20.78

53.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$15.36 NZ$26.31

-39.97%

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

$616 €539

$909 NZ$1,557

-32.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$13.8K NZ$23.6K

19.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$71.2 NZ$122

44.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$49.32 NZ$84.4

-15.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$98.6 NZ$169

-3.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$127 NZ$217

-3.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$991 NZ$1,696

64.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$774 NZ$1,326

59.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,591 NZ$2,724

94.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$1,404 NZ$2,404

44.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$4,297 NZ$7,357

82.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,882 NZ$4,935

52.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.37

-40.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Thames: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $991 in Thames. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $78.0 in Thames for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $325 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 Thames: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Thames differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,908 including rent). Thames is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $2,863 in Thames to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $991 in Thames. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $909 in Thames. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 22% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,908 in Thames versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Thames but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Thames 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 Thames 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 Thames gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.