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: $1,998 in Sarnia versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,894 in Sarnia versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,791 in Sarnia versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Sarnia costs roughly 10% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sarnia 49% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.76 CA$20.51

$15.91 €13.70

-7.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$47.14 CA$65.5

$64.8 €55.8

-27.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.38 CA$13.04

$10.51 €9.05

-10.75%

Cappuccino

$2.57 CA$3.58

$2.87 €2.47

-10.45%

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

$1.55 CA$2.15

$2.24 €1.93

-30.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 CA$2.22

$1.50 €1.30

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.77 CA$6.63

$3.49 €3.01

36.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 CA$8.22

$3.88 €3.34

52.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 CA$2.94

$1.14 €0.98

85.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 CA$3.27

$1.75 €1.51

34.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.58 CA$3.59

$1.76 €1.51

46.59%

Eggs

$3.16 CA$4.39

$3.22 €2.77

-1.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.24 CA$11.44

$13.49 €11.62

-38.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.39 CA$20.00

$7.91 €6.81

81.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.66 CA$18.98

$15.87 €13.67

-13.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.12 CA$5.73

$2.31 €1.99

78.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 CA$1.64

$1.70 €1.46

-30.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 CA$4.54

$2.01 €1.73

62.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 CA$5.14

$2.46 €2.12

50.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.35 CA$3.27

$1.84 €1.59

27.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 CA$3.91

$2.00 €1.72

40.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 CA$2.71

$1.93 €1.66

1.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 CA$1.67

$0.79 €0.68

51.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.82 CA$15.03

$6.61 €5.69

63.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.06 CA$13.98

$5.72 €4.93

75.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 CA$3.39

$1.37 €1.18

78.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 CA$4.11

$2.97 €2.56

-0.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.19 CA$3.04

$2.37 €2.04

-7.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$55.4 CA$77.0

$45.56 €39.23

21.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.55 CA$3.54

$4.29 €3.69

-40.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 CA$2.38

$0.82 €0.70

109.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.94 CA$41.60

$18.30 €15.76

63.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 CA$1.51

$2.06 €1.78

-47.57%

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

$24.7K CA$34.3K

$34.3K €29.5K

-27.88%

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

$19.9K CA$27.7K

$39.3K €33.8K

-49.26%

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

$146 CA$203

$148 €127

-1.05%

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

$37.40 CA$52.0

$20.52 €17.67

82.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 CA$76.5

$39.61 €34.11

38.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.45 CA$31.19

$47.85 €41.20

-53.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.49 CA$25.69

$18.92 €16.29

-2.27%

Cinema Ticket

$12.07 CA$16.77

$9.18 €7.91

31.48%

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

$293 CA$407

$614 €529

-52.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.4K CA$14.5K

$16.0K €13.8K

-35.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 CA$75.3

$105 €90.1

-48.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.82 CA$35.88

$42.06 €36.22

-38.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 CA$98.5

$94.0 €80.9

-24.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.6 CA$120

$120 €103

-27.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 CA$1,785

$1,628 €1,402

-21.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$949 CA$1,319

$1,255 €1,081

-24.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,415 CA$3,356

$3,030 €2,609

-20.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,501 CA$2,086

$2,020 €1,740

-25.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,053 CA$4,242

$1,603 €1,381

90.40%

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: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Sarnia and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarnia pays 90% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $47.00 in Sarnia vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $338 vs $269, 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 11% in total monthly costs ($1,998 vs $2,210 including rent). Sarnia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Sarnia pays 90% 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: $1,284 in Sarnia versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $293 in Sarnia versus $614 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 $1,998 in Sarnia versus $2,210 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 11% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.