Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tunbridge Wells and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,420 in Tunbridge Wells, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Tunbridge Wells
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,420
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tunbridge Wells 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 Tunbridge Wells and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,420 in Tunbridge Wells versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Tunbridge Wells $2,420
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,577 in Tunbridge Wells versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Tunbridge Wells $3,577
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,733 in Tunbridge Wells versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Tunbridge Wells $4,733
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Tunbridge Wells is roughly 9% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tunbridge Wells 79% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tunbridge Wells
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.38 £15.29
$16.50 €14.67
23.52%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$57.1 £42.81
$61.3 €54.5
-6.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.81 £6.61
$11.27 €10.03
-21.83%
Cappuccino
$4.59 £3.44
$3.06 €2.72
50.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.00 £1.50
$2.26 €2.01
-11.50%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.28 £0.96
$1.73 €1.54
-26.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.48 £4.86
$3.39 €3.02
91.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.34 £3.26
$3.40 €3.02
27.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tunbridge Wells
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.32 £0.99
$1.12 €1.00
17.86%
White Bread (500g)
$2.05 £1.54
$1.86 €1.65
10.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.57 £1.18
$1.53 €1.36
2.61%
Eggs
$3.12 £2.34
$3.96 €3.53
-21.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.24 £3.93
$12.76 €11.35
-58.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.25 £6.94
$7.90 €7.02
17.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.10 £12.08
$16.97 €15.09
-5.13%
Apples (1kg)
$1.35 £1.01
$2.27 €2.02
-40.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.29 £0.96
$1.75 €1.55
-26.29%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.34 £1.00
$1.85 €1.64
-27.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.71 £2.03
$2.57 €2.28
5.45%
Potato (1kg)
$1.35 £1.01
$1.86 €1.65
-27.42%
Onion (1kg)
$1.29 £0.97
$2.02 €1.80
-36.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 £0.98
$1.44 €1.28
-9.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 £0.91
$0.82 €0.73
47.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$22.50 £16.88
$6.56 €5.83
242.99%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.74 £8.06
$5.62 €5.00
91.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.30 £1.73
$1.28 €1.14
79.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 £1.88
$2.07 €1.84
20.77%
🚌 Getting Around
Tunbridge Wells
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.29 £2.47
$2.35 €2.09
40.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$130 £97.8
$44.18 €39.30
195.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.39 £4.79
$3.99 €3.55
60.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.40 £1.80
$1.09 €0.97
120.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$16.64 €14.81
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.90 £1.43
$2.28 €2.03
-16.67%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.1K £28.6K
$33.7K €30.0K
13.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.8K £30.6K
$39.3K €35.0K
3.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tunbridge Wells
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$285 £214
$167 €149
69.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$13.30 £9.98
$18.80 €16.72
-29.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.48 £25.87
$33.09 €29.43
4.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tunbridge Wells
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.08 £24.82
$46.01 €40.93
-28.10%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.19 €17.07
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.77 £11.83
$9.84 €8.75
60.26%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tunbridge Wells
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,036 £1,527
$677 €602
200.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$29.3K £22.0K
$16.9K €15.1K
73.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tunbridge Wells
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.2 £39.14
$101 €90.1
-48.46%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$53.6 £40.17
$45.76 €40.70
17.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.7 £66.6
$100.0 €88.9
-11.27%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.0 £69.0
$123 €109
-25.09%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tunbridge Wells
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,438 £1,079
$1,614 €1,436
-10.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,173 £880
$1,197 €1,065
-2.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,523 £1,893
$2,862 €2,545
-11.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,149 £1,612
$1,990 €1,770
7.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,577 €6,740
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,307 €3,831
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tunbridge Wells
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,524 £2,644
$1,588 €1,412
121.95%
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 Tunbridge Wells: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tunbridge Wells
$1.2K
Lisbon
$1.2K 2.1% $24
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tunbridge Wells
$332
Lisbon
$219 34% $113
Eating Out
Tunbridge Wells
$299
Lisbon
$242 18.9% $57
Groceries & Markets
Tunbridge Wells
$260
Lisbon
$269 3.4% $8.9
Getting Around
Tunbridge Wells
$162
Lisbon
$63 61.1% $99
Clothing & Footwear
Tunbridge Wells
$129
Lisbon
$166 29.1% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Tunbridge Wells
$65
Lisbon
$66 1.7% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,438 in Tunbridge Wells and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tunbridge Wells pays 122% 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: $57.0 in Tunbridge Wells vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $260 vs $269 per month, with Tunbridge Wells cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Tunbridge Wells
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
18:23 6:23 PM
18:23 6:23 PM
Same time as Tunbridge Wells
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
105,000
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tunbridge Wells Lisbon 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tunbridge Wells
  • 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
Tunbridge Wells vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Tunbridge Wells and in Lisbon?
Tunbridge Wells and Lisbon differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,420 vs $2,223 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Tunbridge Wells or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 122% higher in Tunbridge Wells, 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 Tunbridge Wells and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,438 in Tunbridge Wells versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Tunbridge Wells and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $2,036 in Tunbridge Wells versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Tunbridge Wells pay roughly 3% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,420 in Tunbridge Wells, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Tunbridge Wells. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Tunbridge Wells 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 Tunbridge Wells or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Tunbridge Wells 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.
Where should expats move: Tunbridge Wells or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Tunbridge Wells. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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