Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,063 in Surrey versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,476 in Surrey versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,888 in Surrey versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Surrey is roughly 33% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Surrey 124% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.33 £17.47

$17.59 €15.32

32.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$58.5 £43.80

$62.9 €54.8

-6.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.72 £7.28

$11.58 €10.09

-16.06%

Cappuccino

$4.98 £3.72

$3.10 €2.70

60.65%

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

$2.34 £1.75

$2.49 €2.17

-6.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 £1.08

$1.74 €1.52

-17.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 £5.16

$3.48 €3.03

97.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.10 £4.56

$3.44 €3.00

77.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 £1.02

$1.15 €1.00

18.26%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 £1.55

$1.91 €1.66

8.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 £1.19

$1.50 €1.31

6.00%

Eggs

$4.14 £3.10

$3.98 €3.47

4.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.39 £6.28

$13.29 €11.58

-36.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.00 £6.74

$8.01 €6.98

12.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.47 £12.33

$18.04 €15.72

-8.70%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 £2.40

$2.35 €2.05

36.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.75 €1.52

-13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.05 £1.54

$1.85 €1.62

10.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.43 £2.57

$2.55 €2.22

34.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.45 £1.09

$1.84 €1.61

-21.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 £1.37

$2.10 €1.83

-12.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 £1.11

$1.49 €1.29

-0.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 £0.93

$0.82 €0.71

51.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.62 £17.69

$7.10 €6.18

232.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.67 £7.99

$5.91 €5.15

80.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 £1.78

$1.31 €1.15

81.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 £1.89

$2.13 €1.86

18.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.14 £3.10

$2.36 €2.05

75.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 £3.93

$4.08 €3.55

28.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.46

$2.31 €2.01

-15.58%

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

$38.9K £29.2K

$34.1K €29.7K

14.13%

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

$42.1K £31.6K

$41.4K €36.0K

1.86%

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

$266 £199

$169 €147

58.07%

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

$13.66 £10.23

$19.33 €16.84

-29.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.33 £27.20

$33.51 €29.20

8.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.9 £41.10

$48.84 €42.55

12.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.84 £14.11

$19.43 €16.93

-3.04%

Cinema Ticket

$13.63 £10.20

$9.57 €8.34

42.42%

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

$2,139 £1,602

$696 €606

207.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K £22.6K

$17.4K €15.1K

73.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 £39.93

$105 €91.7

-49.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.04 £29.98

$47.75 €41.60

-16.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 £67.4

$101 €87.6

-10.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.7 £70.2

$124 €108

-24.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,935 £1,449

$1,662 €1,448

16.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,913 £1,432

$1,246 €1,086

53.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,414 £2,556

$2,965 €2,583

15.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,344 £2,503

$2,049 €1,785

63.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,325 £5,484

$4,464 €3,889

64.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,601 £3,445

$1,632 €1,421

182.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

3.78

42.86%

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

Last update for Surrey: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,935 in Surrey and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surrey pays 182% 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: $58.0 in Surrey vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $277, 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

Surrey vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Surrey and Lisbon differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($3,063 vs $2,296 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 182% higher in Surrey, 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: $1,935 in Surrey versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Surrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,063 per month in Surrey versus $2,296 in Lisbon – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Surrey 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 33% less than in Surrey. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.