Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,626 in Vancouver, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Vancouver
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Vancouver Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Vancouver

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,626

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Vancouver versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Vancouver $2,626
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,841 in Vancouver versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Vancouver $3,841
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,056 in Vancouver versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Vancouver $5,056
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Vancouver is roughly 18% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 95% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.19 CA$24.30

$16.50 €14.67

4.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.1 CA$97.6

$61.3 €54.5

12.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.61 CA$15.00

$11.27 €10.03

-5.86%

Cappuccino

$3.83 CA$5.42

$3.06 €2.72

25.16%

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

$2.04 CA$2.88

$2.26 €2.01

-9.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 CA$2.34

$1.73 €1.54

-4.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 CA$7.83

$3.39 €3.02

63.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.20 CA$8.77

$3.40 €3.02

82.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.14 CA$3.02

$1.12 €1.00

91.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.51 CA$3.54

$1.86 €1.65

34.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 CA$6.35

$1.53 €1.36

193.46%

Eggs

$4.09 CA$5.78

$3.96 €3.53

3.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 CA$16.58

$12.76 €11.35

-8.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 CA$18.54

$7.90 €7.02

65.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.50 CA$27.57

$16.97 €15.09

14.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 CA$5.65

$2.27 €2.02

76.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 CA$1.94

$1.75 €1.55

-21.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.88 CA$5.48

$1.85 €1.64

109.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 CA$5.58

$2.57 €2.28

53.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$1.86 €1.65

46.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 CA$4.05

$2.02 €1.80

41.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 CA$3.48

$1.44 €1.28

70.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CA$2.21

$0.82 €0.73

90.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.48 CA$21.88

$6.56 €5.83

135.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.75 CA$19.44

$5.62 €5.00

144.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 CA$3.72

$1.28 €1.14

105.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.89 CA$4.09

$2.07 €1.84

39.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 CA$3.51

$2.35 €2.09

5.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$117

$44.18 €39.30

87.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 CA$3.85

$3.99 €3.55

-31.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 CA$2.24

$1.09 €0.97

44.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.05 CA$43.89

$16.64 €14.81

86.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 CA$1.94

$2.28 €2.03

-39.91%

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

$27.7K CA$39.1K

$33.7K €30.0K

-17.88%

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

$19.6K CA$27.8K

$39.3K €35.0K

-50.01%

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

$82.5 CA$117

$167 €149

-50.76%

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

$37.26 CA$52.7

$18.80 €16.72

98.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CA$73.1

$33.09 €29.43

56.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 CA$60.6

$46.01 €40.93

-6.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.40 CA$17.53

$19.19 €17.07

-35.38%

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 CA$17.15

$9.84 €8.75

23.27%

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

$1,102 CA$1,557

$677 €602

62.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.8K CA$28.0K

$16.9K €15.1K

17.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 CA$79.7

$101 €90.1

-44.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.43 CA$47.26

$45.76 €40.70

-26.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 CA$133

$100.0 €88.9

-6.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 CA$133

$123 €109

-23.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,775 CA$2,509

$1,614 €1,436

9.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,497 CA$2,116

$1,197 €1,065

25.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,082 CA$4,357

$2,862 €2,545

7.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 CA$3,416

$1,990 €1,770

21.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,069 CA$11.4K

$7,577 €6,740

6.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,449 CA$9,118

$4,307 €3,831

49.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,776 CA$5,339

$1,588 €1,412

137.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.28

3.85

11.17%

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

Last update for Vancouver: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Vancouver

$1.5K 57%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 20% $300

Groceries & Markets

Vancouver

$392 14.9%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 31.4% $123

Eating Out

Vancouver

$270 10.3%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 10.4% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Vancouver

$171 6.5%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 27.9% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Vancouver

$125 4.8%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 33.3% $42

Getting Around

Vancouver

$104 3.9%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 39.2% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Vancouver

$67 2.6%

Lisbon

$66 3% 2.1% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,775 in Vancouver and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 138% 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: $69.0 in Vancouver vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Vancouver

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

09:41 9:41 AM

8 h ahead of Vancouver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

631,486

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.707 USD

1 CAD = 0.629 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇦 Canadian Dollar ($)

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.41 CAD (1 CAD = 0.707 USD). 1 EUR = 1.59 CAD (1 CAD = 0.629 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to CAD in detail →

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From you

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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

Vancouver vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Lisbon differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($2,626 vs $2,223 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 138% higher in Vancouver, 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: $1,775 in Vancouver versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,102 in Vancouver versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,626 in Vancouver, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Vancouver. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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, Vancouver 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 18% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.