Cost of Living Comparison Between Motherwell and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Motherwell and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,251 in Motherwell versus $2,258 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,384 in Motherwell versus $3,328 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,517 in Motherwell versus $4,397 in Lisbon.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Motherwell 67% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.05 £14.86

$15.82 €13.46

26.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.7 £60.5

$64.4 €54.8

26.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 £7.52

$10.37 €8.82

-2.12%

Cappuccino

$4.78 £3.54

$2.89 €2.46

65.40%

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

$2.38 £1.76

$2.23 €1.90

6.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 £1.23

$1.55 €1.32

7.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.17 £4.57

$3.38 €2.88

82.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.29 £4.66

$3.90 €3.32

61.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 £1.22

$1.12 €0.96

46.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.80 €1.53

-11.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.31 £1.71

$1.75 €1.49

32.00%

Eggs

$3.97 £2.94

$3.17 €2.70

25.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.10 £7.48

$13.50 €11.49

-25.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.75 £6.49

$7.79 €6.63

12.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.78 £10.21

$15.65 €13.32

-11.95%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 £2.34

$2.28 €1.94

38.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 £1.18

$1.71 €1.46

-7.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 £2.08

$1.93 €1.65

45.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.61

$2.52 €2.15

40.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.79 €1.52

-8.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.49 £1.11

$2.05 €1.74

-27.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.79

$1.94 €1.65

-45.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 £1.12

$0.81 €0.69

86.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.97 £14.05

$6.65 €5.66

185.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 £8.01

$5.79 €4.92

86.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 £1.98

$1.33 €1.14

101.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 £2.37

$2.91 €2.47

9.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.38 £2.51

$2.35 €2.00

43.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.9 £66.6

$45.70 €38.89

96.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.57 £4.13

$4.20 €3.58

32.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 £1.12

$0.81 €0.69

87.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.55 £17.45

$18.70 €15.91

25.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.87 £1.39

$2.09 €1.78

-10.53%

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

$38.7K £28.7K

$34.6K €29.5K

11.86%

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

$41.2K £30.5K

$39.7K €33.7K

3.95%

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

$295 £218

$146 €124

102.15%

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

$17.43 £12.91

$20.84 €17.73

-16.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.61 £31.57

$39.78 €33.85

7.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.75 £34.64

$48.58 €41.35

-3.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.82 £5.05

$18.85 €16.04

-63.82%

Cinema Ticket

$13.40 £9.93

$9.07 €7.72

47.74%

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

$1,588 £1,177

$618 €526

157.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.4K

$16.2K €13.8K

12.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.7 £61.3

$105 €89.0

-20.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.49 £32.22

$40.54 €34.50

7.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.9 £68.8

$93.8 €79.8

-0.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.9 £72.6

$123 €104

-20.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 £897

$1,604 €1,365

-24.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$994 £736

$1,260 €1,073

-21.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,070 £1,534

$3,065 €2,608

-32.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,668 £1,236

$2,008 €1,709

-16.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,606 £2,672

$7,702 €6,555

-53.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,716

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,394

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

3.81

47.77%

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

Last update for Motherwell: April 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,210 in Motherwell and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82 in Motherwell vs $64 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $268 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

Motherwell vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You'd need roughly $3,377 in Motherwell and $3,387 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: $1,210 in Motherwell versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Motherwell runs roughly 97% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,251 in Motherwell versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Motherwell but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Motherwell 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, Motherwell 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 – Motherwell wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.