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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $2,260 in Totnes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $3,228 in Totnes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $4,196 in Totnes.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 2% more expensive than in Totnes, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Totnes 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$12.48 £9.23

38.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$68.4 £50.6

-7.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$10.69 £7.91

6.55%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$4.14 £3.06

-22.95%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$2.78 £2.06

-11.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.38 £1.02

27.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$6.69 £4.95

-46.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$5.60 £4.15

-39.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.87 £1.38

-33.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.37 £1.02

44.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.27 £1.68

-33.04%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$3.90 £2.88

3.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$9.66 £7.15

40.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$9.10 £6.73

-7.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.70

$14.39 £10.65

26.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.77 £2.05

-17.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.59 £1.17

9.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$3.15 £2.33

-40.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$3.42 £2.53

-23.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.02 £1.49

-4.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.53 £1.13

36.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.09 £0.80

32.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.45 £1.08

-42.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$22.69 £16.79

-70.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$10.83 £8.01

-47.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$3.26 £2.41

-57.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.32 £2.46

-33.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$3.57 £2.64

-32.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.25

$94.3 £69.7

-50.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$3.84 £2.84

8.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.71 £1.27

-33.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.21

$33.77 £24.98

-47.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.05 £1.52

13.17%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$33.7K £25.0K

4.73%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$38.7K £28.7K

6.99%

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

$170 €147

$316 £234

-46.13%

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

$19.34 €16.64

$27.08 £20.04

-28.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.95

$40.43 £29.91

-16.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.39

$47.41 £35.08

1.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.12

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$10.79 £7.98

-8.06%

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

$717 €617

$2,095 £1,550

-65.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$33.5K £24.8K

-47.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$53.6 £39.64

95.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.40

$27.78 £20.55

69.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$82.3 £60.9

25.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$99.1 £73.3

25.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$1,239 £917

35.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$1,034 £765

22.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,568

$2,140 £1,583

39.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$1,727 £1,278

15.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,734

$5,228 £3,867

49.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,008

$3,392 £2,510

37.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$2,240 £1,657

-29.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

5.11

-25.83%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Totnes: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $1,239 in Totnes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Totnes pays 42% 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 $68.0 in Totnes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $303 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 Totnes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Totnes differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $2,260 including rent). Totnes is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 42% lower in Totnes. 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 $1,239 in Totnes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $2,095 in Totnes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,260 in Totnes versus $2,316 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 2% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.