Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portsmouth and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Portsmouth: $927 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Portsmouth

🇩🇲 Dominica

$927

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $927 in Portsmouth versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Portsmouth $927
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,640 in Portsmouth versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Portsmouth $1,640
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,353 in Portsmouth versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Portsmouth $2,353
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Portsmouth costs roughly 58% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Portsmouth is 31% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.40 EC$14.57

$16.50 €14.67

-67.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.3 EC$152

$61.3 €54.5

-8.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.78 EC$18.29

$11.27 €10.03

-39.84%

Cappuccino

$2.60 EC$7.02

$3.06 €2.72

-15.03%

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

$2.26 EC$6.11

$2.26 €2.01

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 EC$5.07

$1.73 €1.54

8.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 EC$6.94

$3.39 €3.02

-24.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 EC$9.85

$3.40 €3.02

7.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.80 EC$7.57

$1.12 €1.00

150.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.16 EC$5.83

$1.86 €1.65

16.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 EC$5.39

$1.53 €1.36

30.72%

Eggs

$6.51 EC$17.58

$3.96 €3.53

64.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.58 EC$6.96

$12.76 €11.35

-79.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.45 EC$14.73

$7.90 €7.02

-31.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

Apples (1kg)

$7.27 EC$19.63

$2.27 €2.02

220.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 EC$7.15

$1.75 €1.55

51.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 EC$11.33

$1.85 €1.64

127.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 EC$11.07

$2.57 €2.28

59.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 EC$7.80

$1.86 €1.65

55.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 EC$7.88

$2.02 €1.80

44.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 EC$5.12

$1.44 €1.28

31.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 EC$5.09

$0.82 €0.73

129.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

Wine (Bottle)

$11.14 EC$30.09

$5.62 €5.00

98.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 EC$5.06

$1.28 €1.14

46.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 EC$6.79

$2.07 €1.84

21.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 EC$2.08

$2.35 €2.09

-67.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.64 EC$9.83

$3.99 €3.55

-8.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.76 EC$10.15

$1.09 €0.97

244.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

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

$33.7K €30.0K

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

$39.3K €35.0K

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

$167 €149

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

$41.16 EC$111

$18.80 €16.72

118.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 EC$175

$33.09 €29.43

95.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.88 EC$99.6

$46.01 €40.93

-19.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$11.06 EC$29.87

$9.84 €8.75

12.40%

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

$677 €602

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 EC$150

$101 €90.1

-45.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$23.82 EC$64.3

$45.76 €40.70

-47.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.3 EC$152

$100.0 €88.9

-43.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$65.5 EC$177

$123 €109

-46.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$255 EC$689

$1,614 €1,436

-84.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$226 EC$609

$1,197 €1,065

-81.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$655 EC$1,767

$2,862 €2,545

-77.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$628 EC$1,696

$1,990 €1,770

-68.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$640 EC$1,729

$1,588 €1,412

-59.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Portsmouth: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portsmouth

–

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Groceries & Markets

Portsmouth

–

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Eating Out

Portsmouth

–

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portsmouth

–

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Portsmouth

–

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Portsmouth

–

Lisbon

$66 3%

Getting Around

Portsmouth

–

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $255 in Portsmouth and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 148% 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: $56.0 in Portsmouth vs $61.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇩🇲 Portsmouth

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

05:49 5:49 AM

5 h ahead of Portsmouth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,633

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

East Caribbean Dollar XCD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 XCD = 0.37 USD

1 XCD = 0.329 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to XCD – East Caribbean Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🌐 East Caribbean Dollar ($)

East Caribbean Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2.7 XCD (1 XCD = 0.37 USD). 1 EUR = 3.04 XCD (1 XCD = 0.329 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to XCD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Portsmouth Lisbon 5,690 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Portsmouth
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

Portsmouth vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portsmouth and Lisbon differ by about 140% in total monthly costs ($927 vs $2,223 including rent). Portsmouth is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 148% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $255 in Portsmouth versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Portsmouth – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $61.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $927 per month in Portsmouth versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 140% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $927 in Portsmouth versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Portsmouth but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Portsmouth 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, Portsmouth 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 Portsmouth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.