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Lisbon vs Ottawa cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ต๐น Lisbon
๐จ๐ฆ Ottawa
At a glance
- Where Ottawa is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (21%โ)
- Where Lisbon is clearly cheaper: Beer (53%โ), Street food (51%โ), Bottled water (49%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Ottawa is easier to travel (1.4 vs 2.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Lisbon 2 vs Ottawa 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Lisbon | Ottawa | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 12$14 | C$ 20$14.7 | Lisbon โ5% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 4$4.65 | C$ 13$9.56 | Lisbon โ51% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | C$ 45$33.1 | Ottawa โ5% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 2$2.33 | C$ 5.5$4.04 | Lisbon โ42% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | C$ 8.5$6.25 | Lisbon โ53% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 9$10.5 | C$ 17$12.5 | Lisbon โ16% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 0.8$0.93 | C$ 2.5$1.84 | Lisbon โ49% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | C$ 3$2.21 | Lisbon โ21% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 7$8.14 | C$ 16$11.8 | Lisbon โ31% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 5$5.81 | C$ 10$7.35 | Lisbon โ21% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 1.9$2.21 | C$ 4.1$3.01 | Lisbon โ27% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 40$46.5 | C$ 50$36.8 | Ottawa โ21% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 140$163 | C$ 210$154 | Ottawa โ5% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 1,300$1,512 | C$ 1,960$1,441 | similar |
| Laundry | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | C$ 5$3.68 | Lisbon โ21% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | C$ 35$25.7 | Lisbon โ32% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 15$17.4 | C$ 30$22.1 | Lisbon โ21% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 50$58.1 | C$ 105$77.2 | Lisbon โ25% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 40$46.5 | C$ 60$44.1 | Ottawa โ5% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 15$17.4 | C$ 23$16.9 | similar |
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, Lisbon or Ottawa?
Lisbon and Ottawa cost about the same. Daily budget $272 vs $275; a month $5,020 vs $5,131.
Which is easier to travel, Lisbon or Ottawa?
Ottawa is easier: Ottawa 1.4/5 vs Lisbon 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Lisbon and Ottawa?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Lisbon is about $5,020 and Ottawa about $5,131 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.