Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surrey, United Kingdom and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,025 in Surrey, rent and utilities included – about $9,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Surrey, United Kingdom
Lisbon, Portugal
Surrey
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$3,025
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Surrey and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Surrey and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,025 in Surrey versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Surrey $3,025
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,456 in Surrey versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Surrey $4,456
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,887 in Surrey versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Surrey $5,887
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Surrey is roughly 37% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Surrey 122% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Surrey
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$23.47 £17.52
$16.65 €14.91
40.96%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.5 £44.40
$61.7 €55.3
-3.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.62 £7.18
$11.36 €10.17
-15.32%
Cappuccino
$4.77 £3.56
$2.97 €2.66
60.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 £1.68
$2.29 €2.05
-1.31%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.48 £1.10
$1.74 €1.56
-14.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.54 £4.89
$3.40 €3.05
92.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.15 £4.59
$3.31 €2.96
85.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Surrey
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.31 £0.98
$1.16 €1.04
12.93%
White Bread (500g)
$2.10 £1.57
$1.91 €1.71
9.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.60 £1.20
$1.51 €1.35
5.96%
Eggs
$4.15 £3.10
$4.02 €3.60
3.23%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.62 £6.44
$12.94 €11.59
-33.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.33 £6.97
$7.77 €6.96
20.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.52 £12.33
$17.76 €15.91
-6.98%
Apples (1kg)
$3.19 £2.38
$2.30 €2.06
38.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.48 £1.11
$1.73 €1.55
-14.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.03 £1.52
$1.86 €1.66
9.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.26 £2.43
$2.59 €2.32
25.87%
Potato (1kg)
$1.38 £1.03
$1.82 €1.63
-24.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.79 £1.33
$1.97 €1.76
-9.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.40 £1.05
$1.47 €1.32
-4.76%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.17 £0.88
$0.72 €0.65
62.50%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$23.32 £17.41
$6.58 €5.90
254.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.47 £7.82
$5.61 €5.02
86.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 £1.66
$1.36 €1.22
63.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 £1.86
$2.14 €1.91
16.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Surrey
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.90 £2.91
$2.33 €2.09
67.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.68 €40.01
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.22 £3.90
$3.85 €3.45
35.58%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.07 €0.96
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$16.46 €14.74
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.93 £1.44
$2.20 €1.97
-12.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.1K £28.5K
$34.2K €30.6K
11.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.0K £30.6K
$38.7K €34.7K
5.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surrey
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$263 £196
$161 €144
62.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.29 £9.93
$18.41 €16.49
-27.81%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$35.87 £26.78
$32.74 €29.32
9.56%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Surrey
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$52.7 £39.38
$44.55 €39.90
18.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.44 £13.77
$19.10 €17.10
-3.46%
Cinema Ticket
$13.07 £9.76
$9.60 €8.60
36.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Surrey
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,137 £1,596
$668 €598
220.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.9K £22.3K
$17.6K €15.8K
69.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Surrey
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.7 £39.38
$102 €91.4
-48.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.02 £29.88
$44.46 €39.82
-9.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.4 £65.2
$98.5 €88.2
-11.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$93.0 £69.5
$124 €111
-24.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Surrey
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,945 £1,452
$1,608 €1,440
20.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,864 £1,392
$1,190 €1,066
56.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,308 £2,470
$2,812 €2,519
17.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,400 £2,538
$2,013 €1,803
68.87%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,839 €7,021
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,255 £5,417
$4,576 €4,098
58.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Surrey
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,565 £3,409
$1,575 €1,411
189.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.4
3.85
40.26%

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

Last update for Surrey: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Surrey
$1.9K
Lisbon
$1.2K 36.2% $674
Eating Out
Surrey
$334
Lisbon
$243 27.3% $91
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surrey
$312
Lisbon
$212 31.9% $100
Groceries & Markets
Surrey
$293
Lisbon
$272 7% $21
Clothing & Footwear
Surrey
$123
Lisbon
$166 35% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Surrey
$79
Lisbon
$64 19.2% $15
Getting Around
Surrey
$21 *
Lisbon
$63 204% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,945 in Surrey and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surrey pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $59 in Surrey vs $62 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $293 vs $272, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Surrey
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
23:31 11:31 PM
23:31 11:31 PM
Same time as Surrey
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
585
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.747 GBP (1 GBP = 1.34 USD). 1 EUR = 0.834 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Surrey Lisbon 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Surrey
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Surrey and in Lisbon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,025 in Surrey and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Lisbon is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Surrey or Lisbon?
Average pay in Surrey is about 2.9 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Surrey and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,945 in Surrey versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Surrey. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Surrey or Lisbon?
All in, you’ll spend $3,025 per month in Surrey versus $2,210 in Lisbon – Lisbon is about 27% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,025 in Surrey, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Surrey. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Surrey and Lisbon?
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.
Is Surrey or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Surrey and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Surrey and Lisbon?
It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Surrey on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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