Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Yellowknife and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,916 in Yellowknife, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Yellowknife
🇨🇦 Canada
$2,916
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,916 in Yellowknife versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Yellowknife $2,916
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,085 in Yellowknife versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Yellowknife $4,085
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,255 in Yellowknife versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Yellowknife $5,255
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Yellowknife is roughly 31% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Yellowknife 116% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Yellowknife
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.32 CA$27.31
$16.50 €14.67
17.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.3 CA$121
$61.3 €54.5
39.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.63 CA$12.19
$11.27 €10.02
-23.43%
Cappuccino
$4.22 CA$5.97
$3.06 €2.72
37.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 CA$3.21
$2.26 €2.01
0.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 CA$2.93
$1.73 €1.54
19.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.12 CA$8.65
$3.39 €3.02
80.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.89 CA$9.74
$3.40 €3.02
102.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Yellowknife
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.83 CA$4.00
$1.12 €1.00
152.68%
White Bread (500g)
$2.65 CA$3.74
$1.86 €1.65
42.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.65 CA$6.57
$1.53 €1.36
203.92%
Eggs
$3.26 CA$4.60
$3.96 €3.53
-17.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.93 CA$9.80
$12.76 €11.35
-45.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$16.17 CA$22.86
$7.90 €7.02
104.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.33 CA$21.67
$16.97 €15.09
-9.66%
Apples (1kg)
$4.81 CA$6.80
$2.27 €2.02
111.89%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 CA$2.04
$1.75 €1.55
-17.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.05 CA$7.15
$1.85 €1.64
172.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.14 CA$10.10
$2.57 €2.28
177.82%
Potato (1kg)
$4.30 CA$6.08
$1.86 €1.65
131.18%
Onion (1kg)
$3.60 CA$5.08
$2.02 €1.80
78.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.43 CA$4.84
$1.44 €1.28
138.19%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.05 CA$1.48
$0.82 €0.73
28.05%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$17.03 CA$24.08
$6.56 €5.83
159.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.83 CA$19.55
$5.62 €5.00
146.09%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$4.09 CA$5.78
$1.28 €1.14
219.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.14 CA$8.68
$2.07 €1.84
196.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Yellowknife
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.13 CA$3.01
$2.35 €2.09
-9.36%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$51.7 CA$73.1
$44.18 €39.29
17.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.07 CA$4.34
$3.99 €3.55
-23.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.37 CA$1.94
$1.09 €0.97
25.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$16.64 €14.80
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 CA$1.82
$2.28 €2.03
-43.42%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$23.4K CA$33.1K
$33.7K €30.0K
-30.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$18.7K CA$26.5K
$39.3K €34.9K
-52.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yellowknife
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$354 CA$501
$167 €149
111.61%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$56.9 CA$80.4
$18.80 €16.72
202.55%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$97.5 CA$138
$33.09 €29.43
194.74%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Yellowknife
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$72.3 CA$102
$46.01 €40.92
57.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.19 €17.07
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.69 CA$13.70
$9.84 €8.75
-1.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Yellowknife
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$575 CA$813
$677 €602
-15.12%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$16.9K €15.0K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Yellowknife
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$63.6 CA$89.9
$101 €90.0
-37.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.39 CA$48.61
$45.76 €40.70
-24.85%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.7 CA$140
$100.0 €88.9
-1.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$114 CA$161
$123 €109
-7.31%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Yellowknife
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,408 CA$1,991
$1,614 €1,435
-12.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,383 CA$1,955
$1,197 €1,065
15.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,100 CA$2,969
$2,862 €2,545
-26.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,050 CA$2,898
$1,990 €1,770
2.99%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,983 CA$4,217
$7,577 €6,739
-60.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,765 CA$3,909
$4,307 €3,831
-35.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Yellowknife
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,903 CA$5,518
$1,588 €1,412
145.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.32
3.85
38.18%

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

Last update for Yellowknife: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Yellowknife
$1.4K
Lisbon
$1.2K 13.4% $186
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Yellowknife
$509
Lisbon
$219 56.9% $289
Groceries & Markets
Yellowknife
$429
Lisbon
$269 37.3% $160
Eating Out
Yellowknife
$293
Lisbon
$242 17.3% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Yellowknife
$140
Lisbon
$166 19.1% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Yellowknife
$92
Lisbon
$66 28.4% $26
Getting Around
Yellowknife
$70
Lisbon
$63 10.2% $7.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,408 in Yellowknife and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Yellowknife pays 146% 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: $85.0 in Yellowknife vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $429 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇨🇦 Yellowknife
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
09:20 9:20 AM
16:20 4:20 PM
7 h ahead of Yellowknife
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
19,234
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to CAD – Canadian Dollar Converter

Canadian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Yellowknife Lisbon 6,970 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Yellowknife
  • 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
Yellowknife vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Yellowknife and in Lisbon?
Yellowknife and Lisbon differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($2,916 vs $2,223 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Yellowknife or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 146% higher in Yellowknife, 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 Yellowknife and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,408 in Yellowknife versus $1,614 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 Yellowknife and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $575 in Yellowknife versus $677 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?
Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Yellowknife. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,916 in Yellowknife, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Yellowknife. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Yellowknife 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 Yellowknife or Lisbon safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Yellowknife or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Yellowknife. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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