Cost of Living Comparison Between Portsmouth and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Portsmouth and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,574 in Portsmouth versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,644 in Portsmouth versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,714 in Portsmouth versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Portsmouth is roughly 12% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Portsmouth 93% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.96 £17.07

$16.19 €14.15

41.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.8 £63.8

$63.3 €55.3

35.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.79 £6.53

$10.32 €9.02

-14.83%

Cappuccino

$4.46 £3.32

$2.83 €2.47

57.60%

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

$2.21 £1.64

$2.29 €2.00

-3.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.58 €1.38

10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 £4.50

$3.40 €2.97

77.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.26 £4.65

$4.03 €3.52

55.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.63 £1.21

$1.09 €0.95

49.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.52 £1.13

$1.75 €1.53

-13.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.86 £2.13

$1.76 €1.54

62.50%

Eggs

$3.17 £2.36

$3.17 €2.77

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.76 £6.51

$13.19 €11.53

-33.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.35 £5.47

$7.97 €6.96

-7.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.07 £11.21

$15.53 €13.57

-2.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 £3.18

$2.37 €2.07

80.17%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 £1.62

$1.71 €1.49

28.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 £2.27

$2.01 €1.75

52.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.85 £3.61

$2.43 €2.12

99.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 £0.92

$1.76 €1.54

-30.11%

Onion (1kg)

$1.66 £1.23

$2.03 €1.78

-18.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 £0.81

$1.92 €1.68

-42.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 £1.38

$0.85 €0.74

118.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.38 £12.92

$6.58 €5.75

164.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.49 £8.54

$5.58 €4.87

105.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 £2.26

$1.33 €1.16

128.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.34

$2.97 €2.60

-39.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.46 £2.57

$2.28 €1.99

51.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.7 £66.7

$45.79 €40.01

95.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.70 £3.49

$4.23 €3.69

11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 £1.30

$0.81 €0.71

114.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.44 £12.22

$18.44 €16.11

-10.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.96 £1.46

$2.08 €1.82

-5.77%

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

$38.2K £28.4K

$34.7K €30.3K

10.24%

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

$40.7K £30.3K

$39.2K €34.2K

4.06%

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

$454 £338

$148 €129

206.69%

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

$15.59 £11.59

$20.46 €17.88

-23.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.66 £30.97

$39.56 €34.56

5.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.82 £26.63

$47.99 €41.93

-25.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.42 £15.18

$18.60 €16.25

9.78%

Cinema Ticket

$10.76 £8.00

$9.22 €8.06

16.70%

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

$1,283 £954

$616 €538

108.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.4K

$16.4K €14.4K

9.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.4 £62.0

$103 €89.7

-18.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 £31.27

$41.74 €36.47

0.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 £65.7

$94.8 €82.8

-6.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 £101

$122 €107

11.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,397 £1,038

$1,633 €1,426

-14.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,082 £804

$1,232 €1,077

-12.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 £1,432

$3,098 €2,707

-37.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,710 £1,271

$2,031 €1,775

-15.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,472 £3,325

$7,831 €6,842

-42.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,822 £2,841

$4,389 €3,835

-12.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,463 £2,574

$1,607 €1,404

115.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.81

54.86%

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

Last update for Portsmouth: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,397 in Portsmouth and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Portsmouth pays 115% 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: $86.0 in Portsmouth vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $310 vs $267 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

Portsmouth vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Portsmouth and Lisbon differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,574 vs $2,291 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 115% higher in Portsmouth, 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: $1,397 in Portsmouth versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,283 in Portsmouth versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 16% higher in Portsmouth. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,574 in Portsmouth, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Portsmouth. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Portsmouth. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.