Cost of Living Comparison Between Middlesex and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Middlesex and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,324 in Middlesex versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,027 in Middlesex versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,730 in Middlesex versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Middlesex is roughly 5% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Middlesex 73% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.66 £11.67

$15.91 €13.70

-1.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 £56.5

$64.8 €55.8

16.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 £6.55

$10.51 €9.05

-16.37%

Cappuccino

$3.65 £2.72

$2.87 €2.47

27.18%

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

$2.31 £1.72

$2.24 €1.93

3.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 £1.49

$1.50 €1.29

33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.19 £3.13

$3.49 €3.01

20.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.93 £3.67

$3.88 €3.34

27.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 £0.99

$1.14 €0.98

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 £1.04

$1.75 €1.51

-20.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 £2.61

$1.76 €1.51

98.86%

Eggs

$3.91 £2.91

$3.22 €2.77

21.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.30 £3.95

$13.49 €11.61

-60.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.00 £5.96

$7.91 €6.81

1.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.49 £10.80

$15.87 €13.67

-8.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 £2.41

$2.31 €1.99

39.83%

Banana (1kg)

$0.98 £0.73

$1.70 €1.46

-42.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.97 £0.72

$2.01 €1.73

-51.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.29 £3.20

$2.46 €2.12

74.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 £0.89

$1.84 €1.59

-35.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.32 £0.99

$2.00 €1.72

-34.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 £0.73

$1.93 €1.66

-48.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.34

$0.79 €0.68

127.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.62 £13.13

$6.61 €5.69

166.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.66 £7.20

$5.72 €4.93

68.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.57 £2.66

$1.37 €1.18

160.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 £2.15

$2.97 €2.56

-2.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.36 £2.50

$2.37 €2.04

41.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.8 £66.9

$45.56 €39.22

96.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 £3.00

$4.29 €3.69

-6.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 £0.98

$0.82 €0.70

59.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.56 £25.75

$18.30 €15.76

88.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.47

$2.06 €1.78

-4.37%

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

$38.9K £29.0K

$34.3K €29.5K

13.57%

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

$36.9K £27.5K

$39.3K €33.8K

-6.01%

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

$318 £237

$148 €127

115.35%

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

$22.91 £17.07

$20.52 €17.67

11.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.06 £29.85

$39.61 €34.10

1.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.9 £38.68

$47.85 €41.19

8.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.07 £14.96

$18.92 €16.29

6.08%

Cinema Ticket

$14.38 £10.72

$9.18 €7.91

56.64%

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

$1,591 £1,185

$614 €529

159.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.3K £9,932

$16.0K €13.8K

-16.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 £79.7

$105 €90.1

2.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 £40.02

$42.06 €36.21

27.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 £95.8

$94.0 €80.9

36.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 £94.6

$120 €103

6.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,206 £898

$1,628 €1,401

-25.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$995 £741

$1,255 €1,081

-20.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 £1,499

$3,030 €2,609

-33.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,963 £2,208

$2,020 €1,739

46.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,188 £3,865

$7,800 €6,715

-33.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,050 £5,252

$4,273 €3,678

65.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.76

3.81

51.18%

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

Last update for Middlesex: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,206 in Middlesex and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in Middlesex vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $278 vs $269 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

Middlesex vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Middlesex and Lisbon differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,324 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,487 in Middlesex and $3,315 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,206 in Middlesex versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,591 in Middlesex versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 3% higher in Middlesex. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,324 in Middlesex, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Middlesex. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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, Middlesex 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.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Middlesex. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.