Cost of Living Comparison Between Albany and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Albany and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,181 in Albany versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Albany versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,310 in Albany versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Albany costs roughly 1% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Albany 63% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.80 A$20.62

$15.91 €13.69

-6.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 A$107

$64.8 €55.7

19.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 A$10.58

$10.51 €9.04

-27.78%

Cappuccino

$3.82 A$5.32

$2.87 €2.47

33.10%

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

$2.33 A$3.24

$2.24 €1.93

4.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 A$2.21

$1.50 €1.29

6.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.59 A$10.57

$3.49 €3.00

117.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.17 A$9.99

$3.88 €3.34

84.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 A$1.99

$1.14 €0.98

25.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 A$3.28

$1.75 €1.51

34.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 A$2.76

$1.76 €1.51

12.50%

Eggs

$4.41 A$6.14

$3.22 €2.77

36.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.63 A$12.02

$13.49 €11.61

-36.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.48 A$11.82

$7.91 €6.81

7.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.86 A$19.31

$15.87 €13.65

-12.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 A$4.59

$2.31 €1.99

42.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.72 A$3.79

$1.70 €1.46

60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 A$4.17

$2.01 €1.73

48.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 A$5.56

$2.46 €2.12

62.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.37

$1.84 €1.59

31.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 A$3.00

$2.00 €1.72

7.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 A$2.93

$1.93 €1.66

8.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.51 A$2.11

$0.79 €0.68

91.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.50 A$42.50

$6.61 €5.68

361.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.60 A$21.74

$5.72 €4.92

172.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.47 A$6.22

$1.37 €1.17

226.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.24 A$7.30

$2.97 €2.56

76.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.58 A$3.59

$2.37 €2.04

8.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 A$92.4

$45.56 €39.19

45.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.61 A$5.03

$4.29 €3.69

-15.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.17

$0.82 €0.70

90.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.85 A$47.17

$18.30 €15.74

84.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 A$1.58

$2.06 €1.78

-45.15%

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

$29.4K A$40.9K

$34.3K €29.5K

-14.37%

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

$22.7K A$31.6K

$39.3K €33.8K

-42.33%

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

$183 A$254

$148 €127

23.43%

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

$27.09 A$37.75

$20.52 €17.65

32.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.59 A$49.60

$39.61 €34.08

-10.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 A$66.9

$47.85 €41.16

0.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.74 A$21.93

$18.92 €16.28

-16.81%

Cinema Ticket

$12.83 A$17.89

$9.18 €7.90

39.76%

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

$1,626 A$2,266

$614 €528

164.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K A$16.9K

$16.0K €13.8K

-24.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.0 A$94.8

$105 €90.0

-35.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 A$70.3

$42.06 €36.18

19.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 A$138

$94.0 €80.8

5.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 A$152

$120 €103

-8.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,267 A$1,765

$1,628 €1,400

-22.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,068 A$1,489

$1,255 €1,080

-14.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,988 A$2,771

$3,030 €2,607

-34.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 A$2,360

$2,020 €1,738

-16.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,232 A$8,684

$7,800 €6,709

-20.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,265 A$7,337

$4,273 €3,675

23.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,756 A$3,841

$1,603 €1,379

71.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.34

3.81

66.40%

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

Last update for Albany: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,267 in Albany and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albany pays 72% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $77.0 in Albany vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $269 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

Albany vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albany wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Albany the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Albany pays 72% more on average, 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: $1,267 in Albany versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,181 per month in Albany versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Albany runs roughly 46% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,181 in Albany versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albany but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Albany the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Albany delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,181 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Albany hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Albany 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 Albany gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.