Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarnia and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarnia and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,978 in Sarnia versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,881 in Sarnia versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,783 in Sarnia versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Sarnia costs roughly 14% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sarnia 48% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.66 CA$20.63

$16.19 €14.18

-9.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.75 CA$67.2

$63.3 €55.5

-24.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 CA$13.63

$10.32 €9.04

-6.10%

Cappuccino

$2.56 CA$3.60

$2.83 €2.48

-9.54%

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

$1.49 CA$2.09

$2.29 €2.01

-34.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.20

$1.58 €1.38

-1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.76 CA$6.70

$3.40 €2.98

40.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 CA$8.56

$4.03 €3.53

50.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.24 CA$3.15

$1.09 €0.96

105.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.23 CA$3.14

$1.75 €1.53

27.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.55 CA$3.59

$1.76 €1.54

44.89%

Eggs

$3.11 CA$4.38

$3.17 €2.77

-1.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 CA$11.59

$13.19 €11.56

-37.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.05 CA$19.77

$7.97 €6.98

76.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 CA$19.44

$15.53 €13.60

-11.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 CA$5.61

$2.37 €2.07

67.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CA$1.65

$1.71 €1.49

-30.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 CA$4.52

$2.01 €1.76

59.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 CA$5.25

$2.43 €2.13

53.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 CA$3.36

$1.76 €1.54

35.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 CA$3.86

$2.03 €1.78

34.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 CA$2.83

$1.92 €1.68

4.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 CA$1.77

$0.85 €0.74

48.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.11 CA$15.63

$6.58 €5.76

68.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.60 CA$13.51

$5.58 €4.89

72.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.43

$1.33 €1.17

83.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 CA$4.28

$2.97 €2.60

2.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 CA$3.20

$2.28 €1.99

-0.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.1 CA$76.2

$45.79 €40.10

18.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.60 CA$3.65

$4.23 €3.70

-38.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 CA$2.47

$0.81 €0.71

117.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.87 CA$40.62

$18.44 €16.15

56.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 CA$1.60

$2.08 €1.82

-45.19%

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

$25.1K CA$35.4K

$34.7K €30.4K

-27.50%

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

$19.9K CA$28.0K

$39.2K €34.3K

-49.10%

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

$142 CA$200

$148 €130

-4.15%

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

$36.03 CA$50.7

$20.46 €17.92

76.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.6 CA$78.2

$39.56 €34.64

40.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.87 CA$30.77

$47.99 €42.03

-54.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.53 CA$26.07

$18.60 €16.29

-0.38%

Cinema Ticket

$11.84 CA$16.65

$9.22 €8.08

28.42%

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

$293 CA$412

$616 €540

-52.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K CA$14.6K

$16.4K €14.4K

-36.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 CA$74.2

$103 €90.0

-48.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.46 CA$35.82

$41.74 €36.55

-39.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 CA$98.6

$94.8 €83.0

-26.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.1 CA$124

$122 €107

-27.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 CA$1,790

$1,633 €1,430

-22.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$975 CA$1,371

$1,232 €1,079

-20.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,361 CA$3,323

$3,098 €2,713

-23.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 CA$2,072

$2,031 €1,779

-27.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,013 CA$4,239

$1,607 €1,408

87.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

3.81

66.14%

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

Last update for Sarnia: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,272 in Sarnia and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarnia pays 87% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $48.00 in Sarnia vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $335 vs $267, with Lisbon 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

Sarnia vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sarnia and Lisbon differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,978 vs $2,291 including rent). Sarnia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Sarnia, 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: $1,272 in Sarnia versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $293 in Sarnia versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,978 in Sarnia versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sarnia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sarnia 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, Sarnia 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 Sarnia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.