Cost of Living Comparison Between Retford and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Retford and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,159 in Retford versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,360 in Retford versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,560 in Retford versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Retford costs roughly 50% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Retford is 16% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.17 £11.22

$17.30 €14.89

-12.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.7 £49.37

$63.3 €54.5

5.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.35 £5.44

$11.39 €9.81

-35.47%

Cappuccino

$4.11 £3.04

$3.19 €2.75

28.84%

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

$1.82 £1.35

$2.45 €2.11

-25.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.76 €1.52

4.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.38 £3.24

$3.59 €3.09

22.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 £3.20

$3.39 €2.92

27.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 £1.36

$1.24 €1.06

48.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.92 £1.42

$1.98 €1.71

-3.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 £1.03

$1.52 €1.31

-7.89%

Eggs

$4.86 £3.59

$4.04 €3.48

20.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.40 £8.43

$13.54 €11.65

-15.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.19 £3.10

$8.39 €7.22

-50.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.76 £9.44

$18.25 €15.71

-30.08%

Apples (1kg)

$1.38 £1.02

$2.29 €1.97

-39.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 £1.01

$1.74 €1.50

-21.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.35 £1.00

$1.86 €1.60

-27.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.73 £1.28

$2.63 €2.26

-34.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 £1.08

$1.92 €1.65

-23.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.56 £1.15

$2.09 €1.80

-25.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 £0.31

$1.44 €1.24

-70.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.19

$0.84 €0.72

90.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.60 £17.46

$6.78 €5.84

248.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.96 £5.89

$5.71 €4.92

39.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 £1.27

$1.38 €1.18

24.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 £1.54

$2.22 €1.91

-5.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 £2.04

$2.40 €2.07

15.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.27

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$13.64 £10.09

$4.17 €3.59

227.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.99 £2.95

$1.14 €0.98

250.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.22

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 £1.53

$2.32 €2.00

-10.78%

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

$40.4K £29.9K

$35.3K €30.4K

14.47%

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

$44.4K £32.9K

$41.4K €35.7K

7.24%

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

$353 £261

$170 €147

107.11%

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

$28.89 £21.38

$19.34 €16.65

49.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.34 £35.02

$33.64 €28.96

40.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.40

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.13

Cinema Ticket

$16.50 £12.21

$9.92 €8.54

66.33%

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

$1,986 £1,469

$717 €617

176.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K £18.2K

$17.5K €15.0K

40.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$87.5 £64.7

$105 €90.2

-16.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.4 £45.46

$46.95 €40.41

30.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 £83.0

$103 €89.0

8.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 £118

$124 €107

29.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 £847

$2,985 €2,569

-61.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 £814

$1,992 €1,715

-44.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,197 £1,626

$7,826 €6,737

-71.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,039 £1,508

$4,658 €4,010

-56.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,746 £1,292

$1,583 €1,362

10.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.3

3.79

39.84%

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

Last update for Retford: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Retford pays 10% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $67.0 in Retford vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $242 vs $283, with Retford cheaper for home cooking.

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

Retford vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Retford and Lisbon differ by about 100% in total monthly costs ($1,159 vs $2,316 including rent). Retford is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 10% higher in Retford, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,159 per month in Retford versus $2,316 in Lisbon – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,159 in Retford versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Retford but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Retford 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, Retford 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 Retford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.