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Edinburgh vs Lisbon cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ฌ๐ง Edinburgh
๐ต๐น Lisbon
At a glance
- Where Lisbon is clearly cheaper: Laundry (76%โ), Beer (61%โ), Coffee (55%โ)
- Where Edinburgh is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (42%โ), SIM card (23%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Edinburgh is easier to travel (1.6 vs 2.0). Biggest gap: language โ Edinburgh 1 vs Lisbon 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Edinburgh | Lisbon | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | ยฃ 14$18.9 | โฌ 12$14 | Lisbon โ26% |
| Street food1 item | ยฃ 5.5$7.43 | โฌ 4$4.65 | Lisbon โ37% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | ยฃ 30$40.5 | โฌ 30$34.9 | Lisbon โ14% |
| Coffeeone cup | ยฃ 3.8$5.14 | โฌ 2$2.33 | Lisbon โ55% |
| Beerone bottle | ยฃ 5.5$7.43 | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | Lisbon โ61% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | ยฃ 9$12.2 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Lisbon โ14% |
| Bottled water | ยฃ 1.2$1.62 | โฌ 0.8$0.93 | Lisbon โ43% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | ยฃ 1.8$2.43 | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | Lisbon โ28% |
| Taxi5 km in town | ยฃ 11$14.9 | โฌ 7$8.14 | Lisbon โ45% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | ยฃ 7$9.46 | โฌ 5$5.81 | Lisbon โ39% |
| Transitone ride | ยฃ 2.4$3.24 | โฌ 1.9$2.21 | Lisbon โ32% |
| Scooter rentalper day | ยฃ 20$27 | โฌ 40$46.5 | Edinburgh โ42% |
| Hotel night3-star | ยฃ 120$162 | โฌ 140$163 | similar |
| Studio rent (month) | ยฃ 1,050$1,419 | โฌ 1,300$1,512 | Edinburgh โ6% |
| Laundry | ยฃ 9$12.2 | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | Lisbon โ76% |
| SIM card1 week data | ยฃ 10$13.5 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Edinburgh โ23% |
| Haircutcut | ยฃ 18$24.3 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Lisbon โ28% |
| Massage1 hour | ยฃ 60$81.1 | โฌ 50$58.1 | Lisbon โ28% |
| Half-day tourper person | ยฃ 40$54.1 | โฌ 40$46.5 | Lisbon โ14% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | ยฃ 21.5$29.1 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Lisbon โ40% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Edinburgh or Lisbon?
Lisbon is 11% cheaper than Edinburgh. Daily budget $313 vs $272; a month $5,475 vs $5,020.
Which is easier to travel, Edinburgh or Lisbon?
Edinburgh is easier: Edinburgh 1.6/5 vs Lisbon 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Edinburgh and Lisbon?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Edinburgh is about $5,475 and Lisbon about $5,020 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.