Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Markham and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,410 in Markham, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Markham, Canada
Lisbon, Portugal
Markham
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,410
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Markham and in Lisbon

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,410 in Markham versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Markham $2,410
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,495 in Markham versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Markham $3,495
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,580 in Markham versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Markham $4,580
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Markham is roughly 9% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Markham 77% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Markham
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.09 CA$25.39
$16.65 €14.95
8.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.2 CA$76.1
$61.7 €55.5
-12.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.73 CA$15.06
$11.36 €10.20
-5.55%
Cappuccino
$3.76 CA$5.28
$2.97 €2.67
26.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.78 CA$2.50
$2.29 €2.06
-22.27%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.23 CA$1.73
$1.74 €1.56
-29.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.64 CA$5.11
$3.40 €3.06
7.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.72 CA$8.03
$3.31 €2.97
72.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Markham
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.01 CA$2.83
$1.16 €1.04
73.28%
White Bread (500g)
$2.30 CA$3.23
$1.91 €1.72
20.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.92 CA$2.69
$1.51 €1.36
27.15%
Eggs
$3.16 CA$4.44
$4.02 €3.61
-21.39%
Local Cheese (1kg)
-
$12.94 €11.62
-
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.99 CA$16.82
$7.77 €6.98
54.31%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.16 CA$10.05
$17.76 €15.95
-59.68%
Apples (1kg)
$3.75 CA$5.27
$2.30 €2.07
63.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.30 CA$1.83
$1.73 €1.56
-24.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.36 CA$3.32
$1.86 €1.67
26.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.31 CA$4.65
$2.59 €2.33
27.80%
Potato (1kg)
$2.01 CA$2.82
$1.82 €1.64
10.44%
Onion (1kg)
$1.99 CA$2.79
$1.97 €1.77
1.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.79 CA$3.91
$1.47 €1.32
89.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.58 CA$2.21
$0.72 €0.65
119.44%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.44 CA$18.86
$6.58 €5.91
104.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.79 CA$20.76
$5.61 €5.04
163.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.50 CA$3.51
$1.36 €1.22
83.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15 CA$4.42
$2.14 €1.92
47.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Markham
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.10 CA$4.36
$2.33 €2.10
33.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$101 CA$142
$44.68 €40.14
126.72%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.34 CA$4.69
$3.85 €3.46
-13.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.07 €0.96
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.58 CA$26.07
$16.46 €14.79
12.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.20 CA$1.68
$2.20 €1.98
-45.45%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5K CA$40.0K
$34.2K €30.7K
-16.59%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$21.6K CA$30.3K
$38.7K €34.8K
-44.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Markham
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$130 CA$182
$161 €145
-19.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.48 CA$38.57
$18.41 €16.54
49.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$45.49 CA$63.8
$32.74 €29.41
38.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Markham
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.54 CA$54.1
$44.55 €40.02
-13.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$21.40 CA$30.03
$19.10 €17.16
12.04%
Cinema Ticket
$10.20 CA$14.32
$9.60 €8.62
6.25%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Markham
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$526 CA$738
$668 €600
-21.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$27.9K CA$39.1K
$17.6K €15.8K
58.15%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Markham
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$43.18 CA$60.6
$102 €91.6
-57.67%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.46 CA$52.6
$44.46 €39.94
-15.74%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.7 CA$132
$98.5 €88.5
-4.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 CA$151
$124 €111
-13.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Markham
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,600 CA$2,246
$1,608 €1,445
-0.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,354 CA$1,901
$1,190 €1,069
13.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,679 CA$3,760
$2,812 €2,526
-4.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,237 CA$3,139
$2,013 €1,808
11.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,458 CA$9,063
$7,839 €7,042
-17.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,229 CA$7,338
$4,576 €4,110
14.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Markham
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,216 CA$4,513
$1,575 €1,415
104.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.56
3.85
18.44%

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

Last update for Markham: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Markham
$1.4K
Lisbon
$1.2K 12.1% $164
Groceries & Markets
Markham
$286 *
Lisbon
$272 4.8% $14
Eating Out
Markham
$264
Lisbon
$243 8% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Markham
$203
Lisbon
$212 4.7% $9.5
Clothing & Footwear
Markham
$127
Lisbon
$166 30.8% $39
Getting Around
Markham
$117 *
Lisbon
$63 46% $54
Sport & Entertainment
Markham
$59
Lisbon
$64 8.1% $4.8

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 $1,600 in Markham and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Markham pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $54 in Markham vs $62 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $286 vs $272, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Markham
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
11:57 11:57 AM
15:57 3:57 PM
4 h ahead of Markham
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
338,503
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.713 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.64 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Markham Lisbon 5,720 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Markham
  • Lisbon

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
Markham vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Markham and in Lisbon?
Markham and Lisbon differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,410 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Markham or Lisbon?
Average pay in Markham is about 2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Markham and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,600 in Markham versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Markham and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $526 in Markham versus $668 in Lisbon. 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 5% higher in Markham. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Markham compared to Lisbon?
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 Markham and Lisbon?
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 Markham or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Markham and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
How do I decide between Markham and Lisbon?
It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Markham on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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