Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Totnes Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Totnes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Lisbon versus $2,167 in Totnes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Lisbon versus $3,124 in Totnes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,397 in Lisbon versus $4,082 in Totnes.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 4% more expensive than Totnes, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Totnes 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.46

$12.36 £9.16

27.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.8

$67.3 £49.88

-4.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.82

$9.59 £7.11

8.13%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$3.98 £2.95

-27.39%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$2.36 £1.75

-5.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$1.39 £1.03

11.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.88

$6.91 £5.12

-51.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.32

$5.30 £3.93

-26.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.61 £1.19

-30.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$1.28 £0.95

40.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.51 £1.86

-30.28%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.70

$3.32 £2.46

-4.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.49

$9.99 £7.40

35.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.63

$7.17 £5.31

8.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.32

$9.48 £7.02

65.08%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$2.70 £2.00

-15.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.50 £1.11

14.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$2.20 £1.63

-12.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$2.24 £1.66

12.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$1.77 £1.31

1.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$1.29 £0.96

58.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.65

$0.99 £0.73

95.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.44 £1.06

-43.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.66

$22.02 £16.31

-69.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.92

$10.82 £8.02

-46.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$2.63 £1.95

-49.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$2.48 £1.83

17.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.00

$3.40 £2.52

-30.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.89

$87.5 £64.9

-47.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.58

$4.05 £3.00

3.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$2.58 £1.91

-68.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.91

$25.39 £18.82

-26.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.90 £1.41

10.00%

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

$34.6K €29.5K

$33.8K £25.1K

2.26%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$38.6K £28.6K

2.66%

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

$146 €124

$347 £257

-57.99%

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

$20.84 €17.73

$16.14 £11.96

29.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.85

$40.90 £30.31

-2.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.35

$46.23 £34.25

5.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.04

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.72

$16.03 £11.88

-43.42%

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

$618 €526

$2,347 £1,739

-73.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$34.7K £25.7K

-53.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.0

$54.4 £40.28

92.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.50

$26.73 £19.81

51.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.8

$81.0 £60.0

15.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$92.6 £68.6

32.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,365

$1,236 £916

29.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,073

$1,006 £745

25.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,608

$2,014 £1,492

52.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$1,698 £1,258

18.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,555

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,716

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,394

$2,261 £1,676

-27.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.82

-34.54%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Totnes: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $1,236 in Totnes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Totnes pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64 in Lisbon vs $67 in Totnes. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $258, with Totnes 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 Totnes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Totnes differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,258 vs $2,167 including rent). Totnes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Totnes earns 38% 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 $1,236 in Totnes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $618 in Lisbon versus $2,347 in Totnes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,167 in Totnes versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Totnes but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Totnes 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 Totnes 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 Totnes gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.