Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Vancouver and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,906 in Vancouver versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,209 in Vancouver versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,513 in Vancouver versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Vancouver is roughly 27% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vancouver 118% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.62 CA$26.10

$16.19 €14.15

15.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 CA$109

$63.3 €55.3

22.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 CA$15.20

$10.32 €9.02

5.04%

Cappuccino

$3.93 CA$5.51

$2.83 €2.47

38.87%

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

$2.24 CA$3.15

$2.29 €2.00

-2.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 CA$2.45

$1.58 €1.38

10.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.05 CA$8.48

$3.40 €2.97

77.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.30 CA$10.23

$4.03 €3.52

81.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.30 CA$3.23

$1.09 €0.95

111.01%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 CA$4.31

$1.75 €1.53

75.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.77 CA$5.28

$1.76 €1.54

114.20%

Eggs

$4.32 CA$6.06

$3.17 €2.77

36.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 CA$17.63

$13.19 €11.53

-4.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.74 CA$19.27

$7.97 €6.96

72.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 CA$22.41

$15.53 €13.57

2.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.26 CA$5.98

$2.37 €2.07

79.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 CA$2.13

$1.71 €1.49

-11.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.92 CA$5.50

$2.01 €1.75

95.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 CA$7.13

$2.43 €2.12

109.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.20 CA$4.48

$1.76 €1.54

81.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 CA$4.33

$2.03 €1.78

52.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.60 CA$3.64

$1.92 €1.68

35.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 CA$2.64

$0.85 €0.74

121.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.45 CA$21.66

$6.58 €5.75

134.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 CA$20.88

$5.58 €4.87

166.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.12 CA$4.37

$1.33 €1.16

134.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.80 CA$5.33

$2.97 €2.60

27.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 CA$3.39

$2.28 €1.99

6.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.0 CA$116

$45.79 €40.01

81.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 CA$5.27

$4.23 €3.69

-11.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CA$2.08

$0.81 €0.71

82.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.97 CA$37.81

$18.44 €16.11

46.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 CA$1.82

$2.08 €1.82

-37.50%

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

$25.2K CA$35.3K

$34.7K €30.3K

-27.34%

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

$20.6K CA$28.8K

$39.2K €34.2K

-47.49%

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

$91.8 CA$129

$148 €129

-37.98%

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

$39.34 CA$55.2

$20.46 €17.88

92.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.6 CA$85.0

$39.56 €34.56

53.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.58 CA$62.5

$47.99 €41.93

-7.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.88 CA$22.27

$18.60 €16.25

-14.62%

Cinema Ticket

$12.18 CA$17.07

$9.22 €8.06

32.10%

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

$1,185 CA$1,661

$616 €538

92.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K CA$26.0K

$16.4K €14.4K

12.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 CA$87.6

$103 €89.7

-39.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.38 CA$59.4

$41.74 €36.47

1.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 CA$133

$94.8 €82.8

0.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 CA$161

$122 €107

-5.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,979 CA$2,775

$1,633 €1,426

21.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,644 CA$2,304

$1,232 €1,077

33.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,577 CA$5,015

$3,098 €2,707

15.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,782 CA$3,901

$2,031 €1,775

36.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,754 CA$12.3K

$7,831 €6,842

11.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,087 CA$9,936

$4,389 €3,835

61.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,380 CA$4,739

$1,607 €1,404

110.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.61

3.81

47.24%

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

Last update for Vancouver: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,979 in Vancouver and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vancouver pays 110% 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: $78.0 in Vancouver vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $414 vs $267 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

Vancouver vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Vancouver and Lisbon differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,906 vs $2,291 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 110% 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: $1,979 in Vancouver versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,185 in Vancouver versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Vancouver. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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, 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 27% less than in Vancouver. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.