Cost of Living Comparison Between Salford and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Salford and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,552 in Salford versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,719 in Salford versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,887 in Salford versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Salford is roughly 15% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Salford 90% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.29 £12.13

$15.91 €13.70

2.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 £80.7

$64.8 €55.8

67.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.71 £9.47

$10.51 €9.05

20.93%

Cappuccino

$4.03 £3.00

$2.87 €2.47

40.42%

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

$1.80 £1.34

$2.24 €1.93

-19.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.24 £0.92

$1.50 €1.29

-17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.50 £3.35

$3.49 €3.01

28.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 £1.97

$3.88 €3.34

-31.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.79 £1.34

$1.14 €0.98

57.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.04 £1.52

$1.75 €1.51

16.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.20 £1.64

$1.76 €1.51

25.00%

Eggs

$5.23 £3.89

$3.22 €2.77

62.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.43 £3.30

$13.49 €11.61

-67.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.81 £10.29

$7.91 €6.81

74.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 £10.48

$15.87 €13.67

-11.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.67 £1.99

$2.31 €1.99

15.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 £1.44

$1.70 €1.46

13.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 £2.10

$2.01 €1.73

40.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.58 £2.67

$2.46 €2.12

45.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 £0.90

$1.84 €1.59

-34.78%

Onion (1kg)

$0.78 £0.58

$2.00 €1.72

-61.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 £0.65

$1.93 €1.66

-54.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 £1.28

$0.79 €0.68

117.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.11 £15.73

$6.61 €5.69

219.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.43 £8.51

$5.72 €4.93

99.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 £1.83

$1.37 €1.18

79.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 £2.33

$2.97 €2.56

5.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.33 £2.48

$2.37 €2.04

40.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$109 £81.5

$45.56 €39.22

139.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.90 £2.16

$4.29 €3.69

-32.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 £1.13

$0.82 €0.70

85.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.95 £17.10

$18.30 €15.76

25.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 £1.53

$2.06 €1.78

-0.49%

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

$38.3K £28.5K

$34.3K €29.5K

11.64%

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

$41.3K £30.8K

$39.3K €33.8K

5.17%

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

$404 £301

$148 €127

173.31%

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

$20.10 £14.98

$20.52 €17.67

-2.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.85 £21.49

$39.61 €34.10

-27.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.82 £34.14

$47.85 €41.19

-4.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$24.91 £18.56

$9.18 €7.91

171.35%

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

$1,613 £1,202

$614 €529

162.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K £13.6K

$16.0K €13.8K

13.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$122 £90.9

$105 €90.1

16.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.2 £60.5

$42.06 €36.21

93.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.8 £49.79

$94.0 €80.9

-28.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 £74.2

$120 €103

-16.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 £1,014

$1,628 €1,401

-16.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,097 £817

$1,255 €1,081

-12.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,302 £1,715

$3,030 €2,609

-24.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 £1,315

$2,020 €1,739

-12.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,236 £2,411

$1,603 €1,380

101.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

3.81

47.77%

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

Last update for Salford: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,362 in Salford and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salford pays 102% 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: $108 in Salford vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $269 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

Salford vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salford and Lisbon differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,552 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Salford pays 102% 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: $1,362 in Salford versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,613 in Salford versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Salford. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,552 in Salford, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Salford. 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, Salford 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 15% less than in Salford. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.