Cost of Living Comparison Between Swansea and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Swansea and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,254 in Swansea versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,266 in Swansea versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,277 in Swansea versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs are close between Swansea and Lisbon; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.11 £17.93

$15.94 €13.73

51.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.3 £50.8

$63.4 €54.6

7.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.35 £7.70

$10.38 €8.95

-0.29%

Cappuccino

$4.93 £3.67

$2.79 €2.40

76.70%

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

$2.34 £1.74

$2.34 €2.01

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 £0.87

$1.57 €1.35

-25.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.18 £4.60

$3.43 €2.95

80.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 £4.97

$3.91 €3.37

71.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.08 €0.93

76.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 £1.42

$1.77 €1.52

7.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 £1.34

$1.71 €1.47

5.26%

Eggs

$3.62 £2.69

$3.15 €2.71

14.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.16 £6.07

$13.68 €11.79

-40.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 £6.72

$8.01 €6.90

12.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 £9.73

$15.52 €13.37

-15.66%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 £2.32

$2.29 €1.98

36.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 £0.93

$1.64 €1.41

-23.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.28 £1.69

$1.94 €1.67

17.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.45 £2.56

$2.51 €2.17

37.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 £1.52

$1.79 €1.54

14.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 £1.26

$2.01 €1.73

-15.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 £0.77

$1.97 €1.69

-47.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 £1.39

$0.84 €0.73

122.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.01 £16.36

$6.79 €5.85

224.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.59 £7.88

$5.67 €4.89

86.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 £2.06

$1.39 €1.20

99.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 £2.99

$3.02 €2.60

33.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.98 £2.96

$2.27 €1.95

75.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$98.8 £73.5

$45.44 €39.15

117.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 £3.02

$4.29 €3.70

-5.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.46 £1.83

$0.85 €0.73

189.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.83 £25.15

$18.28 €15.75

85.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.44

$1.99 €1.71

-2.51%

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

$38.4K £28.6K

$35.0K €30.2K

9.67%

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

$47.2K £35.1K

$39.5K €34.1K

19.40%

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

$314 £233

$146 €126

114.47%

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

$15.40 £11.45

$20.45 €17.62

-24.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.33 £34.45

$38.98 €33.58

18.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.91 £26.70

$48.98 €42.21

-26.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.19 £12.04

$18.83 €16.22

-14.02%

Cinema Ticket

$10.12 £7.52

$9.52 €8.21

6.30%

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

$1,512 £1,124

$608 €524

148.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.0K £13.4K

$16.5K €14.2K

9.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.8 £42.22

$104 €89.5

-45.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 £29.99

$42.12 €36.29

-4.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 £91.2

$92.2 €79.5

33.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.4 £64.2

$120 €103

-28.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 £840

$1,621 €1,397

-30.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$895 £666

$1,268 €1,092

-29.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,651 £1,227

$3,048 €2,626

-45.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 £1,046

$2,009 €1,731

-29.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,611 £2,684

$7,663 €6,602

-52.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,731 £2,030

$4,329 €3,730

-36.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,023 £2,248

$1,585 €1,366

90.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

3.81

60.10%

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

Last update for Swansea: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,130 in Swansea and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Swansea pays 91% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68.0 in Swansea vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $298 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

Swansea vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Swansea pays 91% 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: $1,130 in Swansea versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Swansea runs roughly 118% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,254 in Swansea versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Swansea but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Swansea 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, Swansea 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.

It comes down to priorities – Swansea wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.