Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alameda, CA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $4,107 in Alameda, CA, rent and utilities included – about $22,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

200

Cost of Living Index in Alameda, CA
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Alameda, CA Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Alameda, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,107

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,107 per month in Alameda, CA vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

Alameda, CA $4,107
Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $6,120 per month in Alameda, CA vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

Alameda, CA $6,120
Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $8,134 per month in Alameda, CA vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

Alameda, CA $8,134
Lisbon $4,341

Alameda, CA costs about 86% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Alameda, CA and Lisbon sit above the global median – Alameda, CA by 202%, Lisbon by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.92 $26.92

$16.65 €14.95

61.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$61.7 €55.5

63.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.94 $14.94

$11.36 €10.20

31.51%

Cappuccino

$5.79 $5.79

$2.97 €2.67

94.95%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$2.29 €2.06

32.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.74 €1.56

51.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 $9.08

$3.40 €3.06

167.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.98 $9.98

$3.31 €2.97

201.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.16 €1.04

3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.91 €1.72

87.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.51 €1.36

229.80%

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$4.02 €3.61

27.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.99 $10.99

$12.94 €11.62

-15.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.21 $15.21

$7.77 €6.98

95.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.36 $22.36

$17.76 €15.95

25.90%

Apples (1kg)

$6.24 $6.24

$2.30 €2.07

171.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.73 €1.56

58.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.86 €1.67

136.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$2.59 €2.33

161.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.82 €1.64

59.34%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.97 €1.77

68.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.47 €1.32

5.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$0.72 €0.65

263.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 $11.86

$6.58 €5.91

80.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.48 $14.48

$5.61 €5.04

158.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.36 €1.22

30.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.14 €1.92

65.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.33 €2.10

25.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.4 $99.4

$44.68 €40.14

122.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.85 €3.46

6.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.07 €0.96

86.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.11 $15.11

$16.46 €14.79

-8.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$2.20 €1.98

-31.36%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$34.2K €30.7K

2.54%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$38.7K €34.8K

-32.30%

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

$134 $134

$161 €145

-16.95%

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

$53.4 $53.4

$18.41 €16.54

190.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.6 $75.6

$32.74 €29.41

131.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$148 $148

$44.55 €40.02

232.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.56 $31.56

$19.10 €17.16

65.24%

Cinema Ticket

$17.06 $17.06

$9.60 €8.62

77.71%

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

$2,462 $2,462

$668 €600

268.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K $19.7K

$17.6K €15.8K

11.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$43.07 $43.07

$102 €91.6

-57.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.79 $36.79

$44.46 €39.94

-17.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.4 $81.4

$98.5 €88.5

-17.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$124 €111

14.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,262 $2,262

$1,608 €1,445

40.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,522 $2,522

$1,190 €1,069

111.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,580 $4,580

$2,812 €2,526

62.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,439 $4,439

$2,013 €1,808

120.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,362 $7,362

$7,839 €7,042

-6.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,445 $5,445

$4,576 €4,110

19.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,610 $6,610

$1,575 €1,415

319.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

3.85

72.21%

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

Last update for Alameda, CA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Alameda, CA

$2.5K 61.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 52.8% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Alameda, CA

$461 11.2%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 41% $189

Eating Out

Alameda, CA

$418 10.2%

Lisbon

$243 11% 41.9% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alameda, CA

$263 6.4%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 19.2% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Alameda, CA

$182 4.4%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 65.1% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Alameda, CA

$136 3.3%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 21.9% $30

Getting Around

Alameda, CA

$125 3.1%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 49.5% $62

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,262 in Alameda, CA versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Alameda, CA are about 4.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Alameda, CA versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $461 vs $272 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alameda, CA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

10:40 10:40 AM

17:40 5:40 PM

7 h ahead of Alameda, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

77,624

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Alameda, CA Lisbon 9,110 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Alameda, CA
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

Alameda, CA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,107 in Alameda, CA, $2,210 in Lisbon – roughly 86% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,161 per month in Alameda, CA and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,608 there versus $2,262 in Alameda, CA.

Kindergarten costs $2,462 per month in Alameda, CA and $668 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 69% more in Alameda, CA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,210, than in Alameda, CA at $4,107. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Alameda, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Alameda, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,210 in Lisbon to $4,107 in Alameda, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Alameda, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.