Cost of Living Comparison Between Roubaix and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Roubaix and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,686 in Roubaix versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,559 in Roubaix versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,432 in Roubaix versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Roubaix costs roughly 25% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Roubaix 26% above, Lisbon 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.91 €15.28

$15.73 €13.42

13.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.0 €58.8

$63.2 €53.9

9.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.79 €11.76

$10.32 €8.80

33.62%

Cappuccino

$3.80 €3.24

$2.81 €2.40

35.23%

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

$3.31 €2.83

$2.33 €1.99

42.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.51 €1.29

38.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 €7.09

$3.37 €2.87

146.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.75 €4.90

$3.91 €3.34

47.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.08 €0.92

9.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.67 €1.42

$1.75 €1.49

-4.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.62

$1.75 €1.50

76.00%

Eggs

$2.14 €1.82

$3.10 €2.64

-30.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.30

$13.28 €11.33

-0.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.32 €7.95

$7.85 €6.70

18.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.73 €11.71

$16.05 €13.69

-14.45%

Apples (1kg)

$1.02 €0.87

$2.39 €2.04

-57.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.72 €1.47

-31.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 €1.94

$1.97 €1.68

15.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.90 €2.47

$2.55 €2.17

13.73%

Potato (1kg)

$0.79 €0.67

$1.79 €1.53

-55.87%

Onion (1kg)

$0.90 €0.76

$1.97 €1.68

-54.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.59 €1.35

$1.96 €1.67

-18.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.22 €0.19

$0.84 €0.71

-73.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.03 €10.26

$6.82 €5.82

76.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.85 €7.55

$5.85 €4.99

51.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.38 €1.18

73.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 €3.62

$2.92 €2.49

45.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 €1.69

$2.29 €1.95

-13.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$48.34 €41.24

$46.88 €39.99

3.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 €2.05

$4.12 €3.51

-41.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 €1.56

$0.81 €0.69

124.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.82 €34.82

$18.94 €16.16

115.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.70

$2.09 €1.78

-4.31%

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

$28.8K €24.6K

$35.1K €30.0K

-17.89%

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

$29.3K €25.0K

$39.7K €33.9K

-26.24%

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

$180 €153

$150 €128

20.15%

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

$22.88 €19.51

$20.49 €17.48

11.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.68 €25.31

$39.15 €33.40

-24.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.21 €31.74

$49.65 €42.35

-25.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.31 €15.62

$18.47 €15.76

-0.87%

Cinema Ticket

$11.57 €9.87

$9.20 €7.84

25.76%

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

$571 €487

$624 €533

-8.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,620 €7,353

$15.9K €13.6K

-45.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.2 €76.1

$102 €87.2

-12.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.43 €31.07

$40.88 €34.87

-10.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 €71.8

$95.7 €81.6

-12.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 €89.3

$121 €103

-13.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$779 €665

$1,653 €1,410

-52.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$626 €534

$1,233 €1,051

-49.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 €1,206

$3,043 €2,596

-53.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 €919

$2,059 €1,756

-47.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,268 €3,641

$7,879 €6,720

-45.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,111 €2,653

$4,303 €3,671

-27.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,879 €1,602

$1,566 €1,336

19.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.69

3.81

-3.15%

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

Last update for Roubaix: April 21, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $779 in Roubaix and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roubaix pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $69 in Roubaix vs $63 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $264 vs $270, with Roubaix 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

Roubaix vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roubaix and Lisbon differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($1,686 vs $2,243 including rent). Roubaix is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Roubaix pays 20% more on average, 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: $779 in Roubaix versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $571 in Roubaix versus $624 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,686 in Roubaix versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Roubaix but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Roubaix 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, Roubaix 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 Roubaix gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.