Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wigan

For one person, living is cheaper in Wigan: $1,964 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Wigan
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$1,964
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Wigan

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Wigan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $1,964 in Wigan.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Wigan $1,964

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $2,893 in Wigan.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Wigan $2,893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $3,823 in Wigan.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Wigan $3,823

Living in Lisbon is roughly 13% more expensive than in Wigan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Wigan 45% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Wigan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$19.72 £14.80
-16.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$68.3 £51.2
-10.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$9.87 £7.40
14.18%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$3.39 £2.54
-9.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.37 £1.77
-4.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$1.53 £1.15
13.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$4.54 £3.40
-25.33%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$4.21 £3.16
-19.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Wigan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.27 £0.95
-11.81%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.36 £1.02
36.76%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.29 £0.97
18.60%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$3.54 £2.66
11.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$5.43 £4.08
134.99%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$5.56 £4.17
42.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$7.80 £5.85
117.56%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$1.51 £1.13
50.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.67 £1.25
4.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$3.53 £2.65
-47.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$3.82 £2.87
-32.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.79 £1.34
3.91%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.71 £1.29
18.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.20 £0.90
20.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$1.91 £1.43
-57.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$22.51 £16.89
-70.86%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$8.98 £6.74
-37.42%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$4.39 £3.30
-70.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$3.26 £2.45
-36.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Wigan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$2.70 £2.02
-12.96%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$4.33 £3.25
-7.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
-
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$33.05 £24.79
-49.65%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.91 £1.44
19.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$38.1K £28.6K
-11.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$40.5K £30.4K
-3.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Wigan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$343 £258
-51.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$16.01 £12.01
17.43%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$38.96 £29.23
-15.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Wigan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$59.0 £44.26
-22.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$17.13 £12.85
-42.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Wigan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$797 £598
-15.00%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Wigan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$110 £82.4
-7.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$55.9 £41.97
-18.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$110 £82.8
-9.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$114 £85.3
7.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Wigan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$975 £732
65.48%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$760 £570
57.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$1,593 £1,195
79.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$1,343 £1,008
48.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Wigan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$2,670 £2,003
-40.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.4
-39.84%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Wigan: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Wigan
$760 36.5% $437
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Wigan
$247 8.4% $22
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Wigan
$275 13.4% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Wigan
$398 81.6% $179
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Wigan
$175 5.5% $9.1
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Wigan
$93 42% $28
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Wigan
$15 * 76% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $975 in Wigan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wigan pays 68% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $68.0 in Wigan. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $247, with Wigan cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇧 Wigan
🕒 Local time
09:26 9:26 AM
09:26 9:26 AM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
81,203
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Wigan 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Wigan

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Wigan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Wigan?
Lisbon and Wigan differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $1,964 including rent). Wigan is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 68% lower in Wigan. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Wigan?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $975 in Wigan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Wigan?
All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $1,964 in Wigan – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,964 in Wigan versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wigan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Wigan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Wigan?
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.
Is Lisbon or Wigan safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Wigan are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Wigan?
Expats usually find Wigan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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