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: $2,295 in Middlesex versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,022 in Middlesex versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,749 in Middlesex versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs are close between Middlesex and Lisbon; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Middlesex 72% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.34 £11.42

$16.19 €14.18

-5.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 £55.5

$63.3 €55.5

17.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.98 £6.69

$10.32 €9.04

-12.98%

Cappuccino

$3.86 £2.87

$2.83 €2.48

36.40%

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

$2.37 £1.76

$2.29 €2.01

3.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 £1.54

$1.58 €1.38

31.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.03 £3.00

$3.40 €2.98

18.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.95 £3.68

$4.03 €3.53

22.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 £1.00

$1.09 €0.96

22.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.35 £1.01

$1.75 €1.53

-22.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.47 £2.59

$1.76 €1.54

97.16%

Eggs

$3.91 £2.91

$3.17 €2.77

23.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.45 £4.06

$13.19 €11.56

-58.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.06 £6.00

$7.97 €6.98

1.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.56 £10.84

$15.53 €13.60

-6.25%

Apples (1kg)

$3.19 £2.38

$2.37 €2.07

34.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.03 £0.77

$1.71 €1.49

-39.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.01 £0.75

$2.01 €1.76

-49.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.25 £3.16

$2.43 €2.13

74.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 £0.91

$1.76 €1.54

-30.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.33 £0.99

$2.03 €1.78

-34.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 £0.73

$1.92 €1.68

-48.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 £1.34

$0.85 €0.74

111.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.47 £13.00

$6.58 €5.76

165.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.43 £7.02

$5.58 €4.89

69.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.70 £2.75

$1.33 €1.17

178.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 £2.05

$2.97 €2.60

-7.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 £2.47

$2.28 €1.99

45.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.4 £66.6

$45.79 €40.10

95.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 £2.96

$4.23 €3.70

-6.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 £0.97

$0.81 €0.71

61.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.57 £24.99

$18.44 €16.15

82.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 £1.47

$2.08 €1.82

-4.81%

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

$38.8K £28.9K

$34.7K €30.4K

12.05%

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

$37.5K £28.0K

$39.2K €34.3K

-4.12%

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

$319 £237

$148 €130

115.17%

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

$23.28 £17.33

$20.46 €17.92

13.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 £29.82

$39.56 €34.64

1.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.2 £39.58

$47.99 €42.03

10.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.77 £15.46

$18.60 €16.29

11.67%

Cinema Ticket

$14.55 £10.84

$9.22 €8.08

57.81%

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

$1,561 £1,162

$616 €540

153.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.5K £10.0K

$16.4K €14.4K

-18.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 £78.4

$103 €90.0

2.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 £41.57

$41.74 €36.55

33.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$125 £93.2

$94.8 €83.0

32.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 £95.9

$122 €107

5.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 £918

$1,633 €1,430

-24.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$999 £744

$1,232 €1,079

-18.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,015 £1,500

$3,098 €2,713

-34.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,972 £2,212

$2,031 €1,779

46.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,260 £3,916

$7,831 €6,858

-32.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,064 £5,259

$4,389 €3,844

60.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,233 in Middlesex and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75.0 in Middlesex vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $279 vs $267 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

You'd need roughly $3,442 in Middlesex and $3,437 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: $1,233 in Middlesex versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 95% less than in Middlesex. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Supermarket bills run roughly 4% higher in Middlesex. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,295 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Middlesex on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.