Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Thunder Bay Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Thunder Bay

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $2,269 in Thunder Bay.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $3,424 in Thunder Bay.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $4,579 in Thunder Bay.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 2% more expensive than in Thunder Bay, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Thunder Bay 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$17.82 CA$24.66

-2.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$60.3 CA$83.5

4.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$12.45 CA$17.23

-8.51%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$3.47 CA$4.80

-8.07%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.99 CA$2.75

23.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.57 CA$2.17

12.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$5.34 CA$7.39

-32.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$5.16 CA$7.14

-34.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$2.28 CA$3.15

-45.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.67 CA$3.70

-25.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$3.29 CA$4.55

-53.80%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$3.87 CA$5.36

4.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$17.32 CA$23.96

-21.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$16.47 CA$22.79

-49.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$16.82 CA$23.27

8.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.36 CA$4.64

-31.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.23 CA$1.70

41.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$3.87 CA$5.35

-51.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$3.53 CA$4.88

-25.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.44 CA$3.38

-21.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.08 CA$2.88

0.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$3.01 CA$4.17

-52.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$2.33 CA$3.22

-63.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$11.03 CA$15.26

-38.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$8.94 CA$12.36

-36.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.00 CA$2.77

-31.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.06 CA$4.23

-27.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$2.38 CA$3.29

0.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$64.2 CA$88.8

-27.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$5.37 CA$7.44

-22.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.10 CA$2.91

-45.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$35.67 CA$49.36

-50.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.12 CA$1.54

107.14%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$28.0K CA$38.7K

26.18%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$19.4K CA$26.9K

113.16%

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

$170 €147

$160 CA$221

6.64%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$58.2 CA$80.5

-66.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$81.0 CA$112

-58.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$29.68 CA$41.07

62.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

$17.98 CA$24.88

10.68%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$17.72 CA$24.53

-44.02%

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

$717 €617

$692 CA$958

3.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$77.7 CA$107

34.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$35.80 CA$49.53

31.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$77.9 CA$108

32.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$135 CA$187

-8.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$1,079 CA$1,492

55.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$951 CA$1,316

33.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$1,930 CA$2,670

54.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$1,705 CA$2,360

16.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$2,743 CA$3,796

-42.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

4.58

-17.25%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Thunder Bay: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $1,079 in Thunder Bay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thunder Bay pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $60.0 in Thunder Bay. Groceries flip the comparison at $283 vs $406, 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 Thunder Bay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Thunder Bay differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $2,269 including rent). Thunder Bay is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Thunder Bay. 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $1,079 in Thunder Bay. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $692 in Thunder Bay. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 43% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,269 in Thunder Bay versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Thunder Bay but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Thunder Bay 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 Thunder Bay 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 Thunder Bay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.