Cost of Living Comparison Between Yellowknife and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Yellowknife and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,019 in Yellowknife versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,249 in Yellowknife versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,479 in Yellowknife versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Yellowknife is roughly 30% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Yellowknife 120% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.49 CA$27.08

$17.30 €14.92

12.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.1 CA$120

$63.3 €54.6

36.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.88 CA$12.33

$11.39 €9.83

-22.04%

Cappuccino

$4.37 CA$6.07

$3.19 €2.75

36.99%

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

$2.38 CA$3.31

$2.45 €2.11

-2.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 CA$2.90

$1.76 €1.52

18.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.69 CA$9.30

$3.59 €3.10

86.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.25 CA$10.07

$3.39 €2.93

113.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.93 CA$4.07

$1.24 €1.07

136.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 CA$3.74

$1.98 €1.71

35.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 CA$6.51

$1.52 €1.31

208.55%

Eggs

$3.22 CA$4.48

$4.04 €3.49

-20.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.47 CA$10.39

$13.54 €11.68

-44.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.46 CA$22.87

$8.39 €7.23

96.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.00 CA$22.23

$18.25 €15.74

-12.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 CA$6.90

$2.29 €1.97

117.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 CA$2.06

$1.74 €1.50

-14.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.36 CA$7.45

$1.86 €1.60

188.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.34 CA$10.19

$2.63 €2.27

179.09%

Potato (1kg)

$4.62 CA$6.42

$1.92 €1.65

140.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.52 CA$4.89

$2.09 €1.81

68.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.58 CA$4.97

$1.44 €1.24

148.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 CA$1.54

$0.84 €0.73

32.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.59 CA$24.45

$6.78 €5.85

159.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.70 CA$20.43

$5.71 €4.93

157.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.26 CA$5.92

$1.38 €1.19

208.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.34 CA$8.81

$2.22 €1.91

185.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 CA$3.08

$2.40 €2.07

-7.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.2 CA$75.3

$46.78 €40.35

15.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 CA$4.40

$4.17 €3.60

-24.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 CA$1.96

$1.14 €0.98

23.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.25

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 CA$1.77

$2.32 €2.00

-45.26%

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

$24.9K CA$34.5K

$35.3K €30.5K

-29.65%

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

$19.2K CA$26.7K

$41.4K €35.7K

-53.56%

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

$364 CA$506

$170 €147

113.73%

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

$58.5 CA$81.3

$19.34 €16.68

202.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.5 CA$138

$33.64 €29.01

195.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.1 CA$103

$48.10 €41.48

54.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.16

Cinema Ticket

$10.20 CA$14.17

$9.92 €8.56

2.82%

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

$599 CA$833

$717 €619

-16.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.1 CA$90.5

$105 €90.4

-37.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.21 CA$50.3

$46.95 €40.49

-22.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 CA$145

$103 €89.2

0.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 CA$164

$124 €107

-4.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 CA$2,027

$1,677 €1,446

-12.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,419 CA$1,972

$1,271 €1,096

11.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,163 CA$3,006

$2,985 €2,574

-27.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,117 CA$2,942

$1,992 €1,718

6.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,098 CA$4,305

$7,826 €6,750

-60.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,840 CA$3,946

$4,658 €4,017

-39.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,117 CA$5,721

$1,583 €1,365

160.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

3.79

40.37%

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

Last update for Yellowknife: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,459 in Yellowknife and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yellowknife pays 160% 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: $86.0 in Yellowknife vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $444 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

Yellowknife vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yellowknife and Lisbon differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($3,019 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 160% higher in Yellowknife, 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: $1,459 in Yellowknife versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $599 in Yellowknife versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 57% higher in Yellowknife. 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, Yellowknife 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 30% less than in Yellowknife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.