Cost of Living Comparison Between Westminster and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Westminster and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,201 in Westminster versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,393 in Westminster versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,585 in Westminster versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Westminster is roughly 38% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Sport & Entertainment.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Westminster 133% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.42 £15.84

$17.30 €14.87

23.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.0 £64.3

$63.3 €54.4

37.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.55 £7.06

$11.39 €9.79

-16.15%

Cappuccino

$4.81 £3.56

$3.19 €2.74

50.78%

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

$1.91 £1.41

$2.45 €2.10

-22.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.76 €1.52

-1.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.62 £4.90

$3.59 €3.09

84.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 £4.50

$3.39 €2.92

79.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 £1.23

$1.24 €1.06

33.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.49 £1.10

$1.98 €1.71

-24.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.88 £1.39

$1.52 €1.31

23.68%

Eggs

$4.01 £2.97

$4.04 €3.47

-0.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.78 £6.49

$13.54 €11.64

-35.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.88 £6.56

$8.39 €7.21

5.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.76 £10.17

$18.25 €15.69

-24.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 £2.39

$2.29 €1.97

41.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 £1.13

$1.74 €1.50

-12.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 £1.94

$1.86 €1.60

41.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.95 £2.18

$2.63 €2.26

12.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.24

$1.92 €1.65

-12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 £1.18

$2.09 €1.80

-23.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.22 £0.90

$1.44 €1.24

-15.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.24 £0.92

$0.84 €0.72

47.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.89 £17.66

$6.78 €5.83

252.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.54 £7.05

$5.71 €4.91

67.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 £2.08

$1.38 €1.18

103.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 £1.92

$2.22 €1.91

17.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.43 £2.53

$2.40 €2.06

42.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.12 £3.78

$4.17 €3.59

22.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 £1.12

$1.14 €0.98

32.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.57 £18.16

$17.68 €15.20

38.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.47

$2.32 €2.00

-14.22%

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

$39.1K £28.9K

$35.3K €30.4K

10.52%

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

$41.4K £30.6K

$41.4K €35.6K

-0.06%

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

$360 £266

$170 €146

111.10%

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

$14.65 £10.83

$19.34 €16.62

-24.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.04 £30.33

$33.64 €28.92

22.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 £91.9

$48.10 €41.35

158.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$20.19 £14.92

$9.92 €8.53

103.53%

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

$1,951 £1,442

$717 €617

172.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.0K £17.0K

$17.5K €15.0K

31.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 £81.4

$105 €90.1

5.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.36 £32.79

$46.95 €40.36

-5.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 £67.2

$103 €88.9

-12.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.3 £70.4

$124 €107

-23.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,204 £2,369

$1,677 €1,441

91.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,908 £1,410

$1,271 €1,093

50.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,797 £3,546

$2,985 €2,566

60.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,746 £2,030

$1,992 €1,713

37.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,676 £2,717

$1,583 €1,361

132.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.4

3.79

42.48%

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

Last update for Westminster: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,204 in Westminster and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Westminster pays 132% 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: $87.0 in Westminster vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $284 vs $283 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

Westminster vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Westminster and Lisbon differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($3,201 vs $2,316 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 132% higher in Westminster, 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: $3,204 in Westminster versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 0% higher in Westminster. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,201 per month in Westminster versus $2,316 in Lisbon – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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, Westminster 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 38% less than in Westminster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.