Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and York

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,298 in York, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. The total is higher in York despite lower rent and utilities.

Lisbon, Portugal
York, United Kingdom
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
York
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,298
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in York

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 York actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,298 in York.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • York $2,298

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,412 in York.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • York $3,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,525 in York.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • York $4,525

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 4% less than in York, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, York 69% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
York
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.85
$26.25 £19.57
-36.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.1
$89.5 £66.7
-31.00%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.13
$10.78 £8.03
5.38%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.65
$4.89 £3.65
-39.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.04
$2.81 £2.09
-18.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.76 £1.32
-1.14%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.04
$6.77 £5.05
-49.78%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.95
$6.52 £4.86
-49.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
York
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.03
$1.72 £1.28
-32.56%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.51 £1.13
26.49%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$2.09 £1.55
-27.75%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.59
$3.90 £2.91
3.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.54
$8.96 £6.68
44.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.94
$8.25 £6.15
-5.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.85
$9.77 £7.28
81.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$3.23 £2.41
-28.79%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.93 £1.44
-10.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.38 £1.77
-21.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.31
$4.65 £3.47
-44.30%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$3.08 £2.29
-40.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.57 £1.17
25.48%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.53 £1.14
-3.92%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.41 £1.05
-48.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.87
$23.71 £17.67
-72.25%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.00
$11.96 £8.91
-53.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$4.10 £3.06
-66.83%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$4.90 £3.65
-56.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
York
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.08
$3.89 £2.90
-40.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €39.86
$113 £84.0
-60.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.43
$4.56 £3.40
-15.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.95
$2.59 £1.93
-58.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.69
$19.28 £14.37
-14.63%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.99 £1.49
10.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.5K
$38.2K £28.5K
-10.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.5K
$40.6K £30.2K
-4.52%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
York
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$202 £150
-20.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.43
$16.55 £12.34
11.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.21
$48.23 £35.96
-32.12%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
York
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.74
$46.61 £34.75
-4.42%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.04
$24.63 £18.36
-22.45%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.56
$13.13 £9.79
-26.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
York
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €596
$1,921 £1,432
-65.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$16.0K £11.9K
10.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
York
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.0
$61.4 £45.81
66.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.67
$37.37 £27.86
18.97%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €87.9
$79.4 £59.2
24.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €110
$78.7 £58.7
57.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
York
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,435
$1,337 £997
20.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,062
$1,028 £766
15.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,509
$2,470 £1,841
13.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,796
$1,632 £1,217
23.34%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €6,994
$5,522 £4,117
41.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,082
$4,099 £3,056
11.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
York
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,405
$3,540 £2,640
-55.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
5.61
-31.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for York: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
York
$1K 13.7% $163
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
York
$304 11.6% $31
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
York
$366 51% $124
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
York
$266 25.4% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
York
$116 30.3% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
York
$73 14.3% $9.1
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
York
$146 131% $83

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,337 in York. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

York pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $89 in York for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $304 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇬🇧 York
🕒 Local time
12:47 12:47 PM
12:47 12:47 PM
Same time as Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
137,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

British Pound exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.746 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.832 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon York 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • York

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 York: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in York?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,298 in York, so Lisbon is about 4% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 56% lower in Lisbon. 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 York?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,337 in York. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and York?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $1,921 in York. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in York. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Lisbon compared to York?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and York?
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 York safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and York are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Lisbon and York?
It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, York on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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