Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nanaimo, BC and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $2,383 in Nanaimo, BC, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. The total is higher in Nanaimo, BC despite lower rent and utilities.

114

Cost of Living Index in Nanaimo, BC
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Nanaimo, BC Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Nanaimo, BC

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,383

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Nanaimo, BC 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 Nanaimo, BC and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,383 in Nanaimo, BC versus $2,206 in Lisbon.

Nanaimo, BC $2,383
Lisbon $2,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,379 in Nanaimo, BC versus $3,276 in Lisbon.

Nanaimo, BC $3,379
Lisbon $3,276

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,375 in Nanaimo, BC versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Nanaimo, BC $4,375
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Nanaimo, BC is roughly 8% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nanaimo, BC 76% above, Lisbon 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 CA$24.50

$16.86 €15.02

4.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 CA$109

$61.0 €54.4

27.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 CA$15.85

$10.98 €9.78

3.37%

Cappuccino

$3.97 CA$5.54

$3.05 €2.72

30.16%

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

$2.27 CA$3.17

$2.28 €2.03

-0.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 CA$2.27

$1.68 €1.50

-2.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.89 CA$8.22

$3.44 €3.06

71.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 CA$7.94

$3.91 €3.48

45.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 CA$2.33

$1.15 €1.02

45.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 CA$4.63

$1.89 €1.68

75.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 CA$4.41

$1.50 €1.34

110.67%

Eggs

$4.24 CA$5.92

$4.12 €3.67

2.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.51 CA$16.07

$13.01 €11.59

-11.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 CA$19.34

$8.04 €7.17

72.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.38 CA$24.26

$17.89 €15.94

-2.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.30 CA$6.00

$2.27 €2.02

89.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 CA$1.81

$1.74 €1.55

-25.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 CA$6.19

$1.82 €1.62

143.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 CA$8.06

$2.69 €2.39

114.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.41 CA$3.36

$1.77 €1.57

36.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 CA$3.98

$1.94 €1.73

46.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.82 CA$3.94

$1.46 €1.30

93.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 CA$3.23

$0.76 €0.68

203.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.51 CA$20.25

$6.66 €5.93

117.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.04 CA$19.60

$5.64 €5.02

148.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 CA$3.56

$1.29 €1.15

97.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 CA$3.69

$2.14 €1.91

23.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 CA$2.72

$2.30 €2.05

-15.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.89 CA$65.5

$44.02 €39.21

6.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 CA$3.95

$3.98 €3.55

-28.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 CA$2.71

$0.64 €0.57

203.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.00 CA$50.3

$18.93 €16.86

90.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 CA$1.87

$2.28 €2.03

-41.23%

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

$26.0K CA$36.3K

$33.4K €29.7K

-22.14%

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

$21.0K CA$29.3K

$38.5K €34.3K

-45.50%

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

$149 CA$208

$158 €141

-5.85%

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

$40.43 CA$56.4

$17.54 €15.62

130.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.5 CA$92.8

$31.18 €27.78

113.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.98 CA$36.27

$44.64 €39.77

-41.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.63 CA$27.40

$18.98 €16.91

3.42%

Cinema Ticket

$10.98 CA$15.32

$9.58 €8.53

14.61%

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

$699 CA$976

$674 €600

3.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K CA$21.1K

$18.7K €16.7K

-19.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 CA$70.0

$102 €91.0

-50.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.30 CA$46.48

$45.90 €40.89

-27.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.5 CA$139

$102 €91.0

-2.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 CA$158

$122 €109

-7.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,445 CA$2,017

$1,641 €1,461

-11.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,191 CA$1,663

$1,187 €1,058

0.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,060 CA$2,876

$2,825 €2,516

-27.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 CA$2,288

$2,018 €1,798

-18.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,800 CA$5,305

$7,836 €6,980

-51.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,417 CA$4,769

$4,701 €4,188

-27.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,169 CA$4,424

$1,687 €1,503

87.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.72

3.82

23.56%

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

Last update for Nanaimo, BC: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Nanaimo, BC

$1.2K 50%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 0.3% $3.8

Groceries & Markets

Nanaimo, BC

$409 17.2%

Lisbon

$275 12.5% 32.9% $135

Eating Out

Nanaimo, BC

$279 11.7%

Lisbon

$245 11.1% 11.9% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Nanaimo, BC

$256 10.7%

Lisbon

$207 9.4% 19.1% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Nanaimo, BC

$133 5.6%

Lisbon

$168 7.6% 25.8% $34

Getting Around

Nanaimo, BC

$67 2.8%

Lisbon

$60 2.7% 10.1% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Nanaimo, BC

$48 2%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 33.1% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,445 in Nanaimo, BC and $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nanaimo, BC pays 88% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $78 in Nanaimo, BC vs $61 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $275 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Nanaimo, BC

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

09:15 9:15 AM

16:15 4:15 PM

7 h ahead of Nanaimo, BC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,504

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.716 USD

1 CAD = 0.638 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.57 CAD (1 CAD = 0.638 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CAD in detail →

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Between locations

Nanaimo, BC Lisbon 8,340 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Nanaimo, BC
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

Nanaimo, BC vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,383 in Nanaimo, BC and $2,206 in Lisbon, so Lisbon is about 7% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 88% higher in Nanaimo, BC, 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: $1,445 in Nanaimo, BC versus $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Nanaimo, BC versus $674 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 49% higher in Nanaimo, BC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

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, Nanaimo, BC and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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