Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Worcester and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Worcester: $2,097 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Worcester
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,097
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,097 in Worcester versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Worcester $2,097
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,096 in Worcester versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Worcester $3,096
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,096 in Worcester versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Worcester $4,096
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Worcester costs roughly 5% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Worcester 55% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Worcester
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.06 £15.05
$17.04 €15.15
17.72%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.7 £49.32
$62.3 €55.4
5.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.68 £8.01
$11.02 €9.80
-3.09%
Cappuccino
$4.52 £3.39
$3.12 €2.78
44.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.11 £2.34
$2.27 €2.02
37.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.18 £1.63
$1.74 €1.55
25.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.75 £5.07
$3.42 €3.04
97.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.95 £5.22
$3.74 €3.33
85.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Worcester
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 £1.01
$1.17 €1.04
14.53%
White Bread (500g)
$1.35 £1.02
$1.86 €1.66
-27.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.84 £1.38
$1.54 €1.37
19.48%
Eggs
$3.17 £2.38
$4.06 €3.61
-21.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.10 £5.32
$12.91 €11.49
-45.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.71 £8.03
$7.90 €7.03
35.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.84 £11.88
$17.64 €15.69
-10.20%
Apples (1kg)
$2.73 £2.04
$2.26 €2.01
20.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 £1.16
$1.75 €1.55
-11.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.77 £2.08
$1.89 €1.68
46.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.31 £2.48
$2.56 €2.27
29.30%
Potato (1kg)
$3.00 £2.25
$1.85 €1.64
62.16%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 £1.43
$1.97 €1.75
-3.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.13 £0.85
$1.45 €1.29
-22.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 £1.26
$0.77 €0.69
118.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.06 £15.05
$6.71 €5.97
198.96%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.15 £9.11
$5.67 €5.04
114.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.79 £2.09
$1.37 €1.22
103.65%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.27 £3.21
$2.11 €1.88
102.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Worcester
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.01 £3.01
$2.32 €2.07
72.84%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$102 £76.6
$44.43 €39.52
129.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.69 £5.02
$3.95 €3.51
69.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.38 £3.28
$1.05 €0.93
317.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$17.15 €15.26
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.86 £1.40
$2.19 €1.95
-15.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.2K £28.7K
$33.8K €30.0K
13.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$41.3K £31.0K
$38.3K €34.0K
7.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Worcester
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$313 £235
$164 €146
91.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.86 £14.90
$18.48 €16.43
7.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.66 £29.00
$32.96 €29.32
17.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Worcester
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.48 £31.12
$45.87 €40.80
-9.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.94 £8.21
$18.68 €16.61
-41.43%
Cinema Ticket
$11.16 £8.38
$9.75 €8.67
14.46%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Worcester
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,821 £1,366
$684 €608
166.23%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$17.6K €15.7K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Worcester
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.1 £42.86
$104 €92.3
-44.92%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$26.16 £19.62
$46.20 €41.09
-43.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$69.8 £52.4
$99.7 €88.7
-30.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$92.2 £69.2
$125 €111
-26.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Worcester
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,038 £779
$1,589 €1,414
-34.66%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$784 £588
$1,169 €1,040
-32.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,357 £1,018
$2,851 €2,536
-52.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,357 £1,018
$1,993 €1,773
-31.92%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,276 £3,208
$7,793 €6,932
-45.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,801 £2,851
$4,418 €3,930
-13.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Worcester
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,074 £3,057
$1,600 €1,423
154.65%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.38
3.85
39.74%

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

Last update for Worcester: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Worcester
$784
Lisbon
$1.2K 49% $385
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Worcester
$372
Lisbon
$215 42.1% $157
Eating Out
Worcester
$316
Lisbon
$247 21.6% $68
Groceries & Markets
Worcester
$304
Lisbon
$273 10.3% $31
Getting Around
Worcester
$147
Lisbon
$63 57.1% $84
Clothing & Footwear
Worcester
$110
Lisbon
$168 52.6% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Worcester
$64
Lisbon
$65 2.4% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,038 in Worcester and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Worcester pays 155% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $66.0 in Worcester vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Worcester
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
14:01 2:01 PM
14:01 2:01 PM
Same time as Worcester
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
94,000
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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Worcester Lisbon 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Worcester
  • 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
Worcester vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Worcester and in Lisbon?
Worcester and Lisbon differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,097 vs $2,202 including rent). Worcester is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Worcester or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 155% higher in Worcester, 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 Worcester and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,038 in Worcester versus $1,589 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 Worcester and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $1,821 in Worcester versus $684 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 Lisbon pay roughly 11% 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 $2,097 in Worcester versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Worcester but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Worcester the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Worcester 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 Worcester or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Worcester 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: Worcester or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Worcester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Worcester vs other spots: cost of living compared

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