Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Northampton and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,442 in Northampton, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Northampton
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,442
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,442 in Northampton versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Northampton $2,442
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,518 in Northampton versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Northampton $3,518
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,593 in Northampton versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Northampton $4,593
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Northampton is roughly 11% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Northampton 80% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Northampton
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$26.21 £19.66
$17.04 €15.15
53.81%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.8 £59.9
$62.3 €55.4
28.11%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.68 £8.01
$11.02 €9.80
-3.09%
Cappuccino
$4.90 £3.67
$3.12 €2.78
57.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.48 £1.86
$2.27 €2.02
9.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 £1.52
$1.74 €1.55
16.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.50 £4.13
$3.42 €3.04
60.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.52 £4.14
$3.74 €3.33
47.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Northampton
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 £1.10
$1.17 €1.04
25.64%
White Bread (500g)
$1.84 £1.38
$1.86 €1.66
-1.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.71 £2.03
$1.54 €1.37
75.97%
Eggs
$4.22 £3.16
$4.06 €3.61
3.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.09 £6.82
$12.91 €11.49
-29.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.10 £6.08
$7.90 €7.03
2.53%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.44 £12.33
$17.64 €15.69
-6.80%
Apples (1kg)
$3.41 £2.56
$2.26 €2.01
50.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 £1.22
$1.75 €1.55
-7.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.18 £2.39
$1.89 €1.68
68.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.40 £2.55
$2.56 €2.27
32.81%
Potato (1kg)
$1.21 £0.90
$1.85 €1.64
-34.59%
Onion (1kg)
$1.83 £1.37
$1.97 €1.75
-7.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 £0.98
$1.45 €1.29
-9.66%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 £0.98
$0.77 €0.69
68.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.40 £17.56
$6.71 €5.97
248.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.77 £7.33
$5.67 €5.04
72.31%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.32 £2.49
$1.37 €1.22
142.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 £2.29
$2.11 €1.88
45.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Northampton
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.35 £2.51
$2.32 €2.07
44.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$121 £91.1
$44.43 €39.52
173.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.08 £3.06
$3.95 €3.51
3.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.02 £3.02
$1.05 €0.93
282.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$31.30 £23.48
$17.15 €15.26
82.51%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.07 £1.55
$2.19 €1.95
-5.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.8K £28.4K
$33.8K €30.0K
11.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K £30.3K
$38.3K €34.0K
5.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Northampton
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$366 £274
$164 €146
123.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.52 £13.14
$18.48 €16.43
-5.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$44.18 £33.14
$32.96 €29.32
34.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Northampton
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.81 £23.86
$45.87 €40.80
-30.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.70 £15.53
$18.68 €16.61
10.81%
Cinema Ticket
$13.39 £10.05
$9.75 €8.67
37.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Northampton
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,601 £1,201
$684 €608
134.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$17.6K €15.7K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Northampton
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.6 £63.4
$104 €92.3
-18.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.26 £30.20
$46.20 €41.09
-12.86%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.9 £54.7
$99.7 €88.7
-26.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$110 £82.7
$125 €111
-11.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Northampton
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,099 £824
$1,589 €1,414
-30.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$996 £748
$1,169 €1,040
-14.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,661 £1,246
$2,851 €2,536
-41.74%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,540 £1,156
$1,993 €1,773
-22.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,631 £2,724
$7,793 €6,932
-53.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,526 £2,645
$4,418 €3,930
-20.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Northampton
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,640 £2,731
$1,600 €1,423
127.50%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.21
3.85
35.32%

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

Last update for Northampton: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Northampton
$996
Lisbon
$1.2K 17.3% $173
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Northampton
$427
Lisbon
$215 49.6% $212
Eating Out
Northampton
$357
Lisbon
$247 30.7% $110
Groceries & Markets
Northampton
$305
Lisbon
$273 10.4% $32
Getting Around
Northampton
$159
Lisbon
$63 60.4% $96
Clothing & Footwear
Northampton
$139
Lisbon
$168 21.6% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Northampton
$59
Lisbon
$65 11.6% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,099 in Northampton and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Northampton pays 127% 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: $80.0 in Northampton vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Northampton
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
06:06 6:06 AM
06:06 6:06 AM
Same time as Northampton
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
245,899
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Northampton Lisbon 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Northampton
  • 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
Northampton vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Northampton and in Lisbon?
Northampton and Lisbon differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,442 vs $2,202 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Northampton or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 127% higher in Northampton, 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 Northampton and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,099 in Northampton versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Northampton and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $1,601 in Northampton versus $684 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Northampton. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,442 in Northampton, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Northampton. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Northampton 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 Northampton or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Northampton 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.
Where should expats move: Northampton or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Northampton. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Northampton vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?