Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Nelson BC and Lisbon

For one person, living costs are similar in Nelson BC and in Lisbon: $2,255 and $2,210 a month, rent and utilities included.

Nelson BC, Canada
Lisbon, Portugal
Nelson BC
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,255
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Nelson BC versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Nelson BC $2,255
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,119 in Nelson BC versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Nelson BC $3,119
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,984 in Nelson BC versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Nelson BC $3,984
  • Lisbon $4,341

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nelson BC 66% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Nelson BC
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.29 CA$19.97
$16.65 €14.91
-14.17%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.5 CA$83.1
$61.7 €55.3
-3.66%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.02 CA$12.60
$11.36 €10.17
-20.60%
Cappuccino
$3.99 CA$5.57
$2.97 €2.66
34.34%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 CA$2.89
$2.29 €2.05
-9.61%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 CA$2.42
$1.74 €1.56
-0.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.68 CA$6.54
$3.40 €3.05
37.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.83 CA$8.14
$3.31 €2.96
76.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Nelson BC
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.05 CA$2.87
$1.16 €1.04
76.72%
White Bread (500g)
$2.88 CA$4.03
$1.91 €1.71
50.79%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.49 CA$4.88
$1.51 €1.35
131.13%
Eggs
$3.14 CA$4.39
$4.02 €3.60
-21.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.17 CA$12.82
$12.94 €11.59
-29.13%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.60 CA$19.00
$7.77 €6.96
75.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.34 CA$29.82
$17.76 €15.91
20.16%
Apples (1kg)
$3.52 CA$4.91
$2.30 €2.06
53.04%
Banana (1kg)
$0.61 CA$0.86
$1.73 €1.55
-64.74%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.62 CA$2.26
$1.86 €1.66
-12.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.68 CA$6.54
$2.59 €2.32
80.69%
Potato (1kg)
$3.23 CA$4.51
$1.82 €1.63
77.47%
Onion (1kg)
$3.14 CA$4.39
$1.97 €1.76
59.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.62 CA$3.66
$1.47 €1.32
78.23%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.97 CA$2.76
$0.72 €0.65
173.61%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.51 CA$20.27
$6.58 €5.90
120.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.74 CA$19.20
$5.61 €5.02
144.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.62 CA$3.65
$1.36 €1.22
92.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.16 CA$4.42
$2.14 €1.91
47.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Nelson BC
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 CA$2.14
$2.33 €2.09
-34.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$37.16 CA$51.9
$44.68 €40.01
-16.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.91 CA$4.07
$3.85 €3.45
-24.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.76 CA$2.45
$1.07 €0.96
64.49%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.81 CA$48.65
$16.46 €14.74
111.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.27 CA$1.78
$2.20 €1.97
-42.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5K CA$39.9K
$34.2K €30.6K
-16.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.0K CA$25.2K
$38.7K €34.7K
-53.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nelson BC
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$128 CA$178
$161 €144
-20.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$44.60 CA$62.3
$18.41 €16.49
142.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58.1 CA$81.2
$32.74 €29.32
77.40%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Nelson BC
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.8 CA$80.7
$44.55 €39.90
29.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.10 €17.10
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.39 CA$15.91
$9.60 €8.60
18.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Nelson BC
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,018 CA$1,422
$668 €598
52.40%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.6K CA$23.2K
$17.6K €15.8K
-5.70%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Nelson BC
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.21 CA$67.4
$102 €91.4
-52.74%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$41.74 CA$58.3
$44.46 €39.82
-6.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.7 CA$118
$98.5 €88.2
-14.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.1 CA$138
$124 €111
-19.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Nelson BC
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,357 CA$1,896
$1,608 €1,440
-15.64%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,143 CA$1,597
$1,190 €1,066
-3.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,171 CA$3,033
$2,812 €2,519
-22.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,504 CA$2,101
$2,013 €1,803
-25.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,839 €7,021
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,576 €4,098
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Nelson BC
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,219 CA$4,498
$1,575 €1,411
104.39%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.62
3.85
20.00%

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

Last update for Nelson BC: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Nelson BC
$1.1K
Lisbon
$1.2K 4.1% $47
Groceries & Markets
Nelson BC
$384
Lisbon
$272 29% $111
Eating Out
Nelson BC
$240
Lisbon
$243 1.3% $3.1
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Nelson BC
$230
Lisbon
$212 7.7% $18
Clothing & Footwear
Nelson BC
$123
Lisbon
$166 34.7% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Nelson BC
$81
Lisbon
$64 20.8% $17
Getting Around
Nelson BC
$55
Lisbon
$63 15% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,357 in Nelson BC and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nelson BC pays about 2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $59 in Nelson BC vs $62 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $384 vs $272, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Nelson BC
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
15:26 3:26 PM
22:26 10:26 PM
7 h ahead of Nelson BC
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,664
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 1.4 CAD (1 CAD = 0.716 USD). 1 EUR = 1.56 CAD (1 CAD = 0.641 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Nelson BC Lisbon 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Nelson 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
Nelson BC vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city pays better: Nelson BC or Lisbon?
Average pay in Nelson BC is about 2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Nelson BC and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,357 in Nelson BC versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do commuting costs compare in Nelson BC and in Lisbon?
A monthly transit pass in Nelson BC runs roughly 17% less than in Lisbon. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 41% higher in Nelson BC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Nelson BC compared to Lisbon?
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.
How does quality of life compare between Nelson BC and Lisbon?
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.
Is Nelson BC or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Nelson BC and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Nelson BC and Lisbon?
It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Nelson BC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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