Cost of Living Comparison Between Milton Keynes and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Milton Keynes and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,623 in Milton Keynes versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,699 in Milton Keynes versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,776 in Milton Keynes versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Milton Keynes is roughly 16% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Milton Keynes 95% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 £15.13

$15.94 €13.73

27.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.5 £65.0

$63.4 €54.6

38.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.94 £8.13

$10.38 €8.95

5.39%

Cappuccino

$4.65 £3.45

$2.79 €2.40

66.67%

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

$1.50 £1.12

$2.34 €2.01

-35.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 £0.82

$1.57 €1.35

-29.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.51 £4.10

$3.43 €2.95

60.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 £4.48

$3.91 €3.37

54.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 £1.08

$1.08 €0.93

34.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.47 £1.09

$1.77 €1.52

-16.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 £1.61

$1.71 €1.47

26.90%

Eggs

$3.72 £2.77

$3.15 €2.71

18.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.14 £6.05

$13.68 €11.79

-40.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 £6.01

$8.01 €6.90

1.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.21 £9.82

$15.52 €13.37

-14.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.11 £2.31

$2.29 €1.98

35.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 £1.15

$1.64 €1.41

-5.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.93 £2.18

$1.94 €1.67

51.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.96 £2.20

$2.51 €2.17

17.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.79 €1.54

-1.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.53 £1.14

$2.01 €1.73

-23.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 £0.95

$1.97 €1.69

-35.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.43 £1.07

$0.84 €0.73

70.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.06 £15.66

$6.79 €5.85

210.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.38 £6.98

$5.67 €4.89

65.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 £2.07

$1.39 €1.20

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 £1.80

$3.02 €2.60

-19.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.76 £2.80

$2.27 €1.95

65.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.7 £60.0

$45.44 €39.15

77.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.16 £4.58

$4.29 €3.70

43.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 £0.92

$0.85 €0.73

44.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.75 £22.12

$18.28 €15.75

62.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 £1.47

$1.99 €1.71

-1.01%

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

$37.8K £28.1K

$35.0K €30.2K

7.88%

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

$40.9K £30.4K

$39.5K €34.1K

3.34%

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

$336 £250

$146 €126

129.74%

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

$14.23 £10.58

$20.45 €17.62

-30.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.31 £26.25

$38.98 €33.58

-9.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.99 £28.24

$48.98 €42.21

-22.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.01 £14.87

$18.83 €16.22

6.27%

Cinema Ticket

$20.68 £15.37

$9.52 €8.21

117.23%

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

$1,902 £1,414

$608 €524

212.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K £16.8K

$16.5K €14.2K

36.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 £77.1

$104 €89.5

-0.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.51 £30.86

$42.12 €36.29

-1.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.6 £66.7

$92.2 €79.5

-2.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 £75.1

$120 €103

-15.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,741 £1,294

$1,621 €1,397

7.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,384 £1,029

$1,268 €1,092

9.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,592 £1,927

$3,048 €2,626

-14.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,964 £1,460

$2,009 €1,731

-2.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,466 £5,551

$7,663 €6,602

-2.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,218 £4,623

$4,329 €3,730

43.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,223 £2,396

$1,585 €1,366

103.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.45

3.81

43.04%

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

Last update for Milton Keynes: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,741 in Milton Keynes and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Milton Keynes pays 103% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $87.0 in Milton Keynes vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 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

Milton Keynes vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Milton Keynes and Lisbon differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($2,623 vs $2,263 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Milton Keynes pays 103% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,741 in Milton Keynes versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,902 in Milton Keynes versus $608 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 Milton Keynes. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,263 in Lisbon versus $2,623 in Milton Keynes, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Milton Keynes. 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, Milton Keynes 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 16% less than in Milton Keynes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.