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: $2,702 in Albany versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,800 in Albany versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,899 in Albany versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Albany is roughly 17% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Albany 97% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.61 A$27.23

$17.30 €14.87

13.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 A$117

$63.3 €54.4

33.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 A$14.50

$11.39 €9.79

-8.25%

Cappuccino

$4.63 A$6.43

$3.19 €2.74

45.14%

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

$2.57 A$3.56

$2.45 €2.10

4.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 A$2.91

$1.76 €1.52

19.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.76 A$12.16

$3.59 €3.09

144.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.54 A$10.47

$3.39 €2.92

122.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 A$2.29

$1.24 €1.06

33.06%

White Bread (500g)

$2.68 A$3.73

$1.98 €1.71

35.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.96 A$2.72

$1.52 €1.31

28.95%

Eggs

$5.51 A$7.65

$4.04 €3.47

36.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.76 A$13.55

$13.54 €11.64

-27.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.38 A$13.02

$8.39 €7.21

11.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 A$18.52

$18.25 €15.69

-26.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 A$6.07

$2.29 €1.97

90.83%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.23

$1.74 €1.50

75.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.37

$1.86 €1.60

69.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 A$6.47

$2.63 €2.26

77.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.65

$1.92 €1.65

36.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.50

$2.09 €1.80

20.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 A$3.12

$1.44 €1.24

56.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 A$2.07

$0.84 €0.72

77.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.96 A$54.1

$6.78 €5.83

474.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.62 A$21.69

$5.71 €4.91

173.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.29 A$7.35

$1.38 €1.18

283.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 A$8.18

$2.22 €1.91

165.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.85 A$3.96

$2.40 €2.06

18.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.4 A$128

$46.78 €40.22

97.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 A$5.50

$4.17 €3.59

-5.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.79 A$2.48

$1.14 €0.98

57.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.33 A$56.0

$17.68 €15.20

128.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 A$1.69

$2.32 €2.00

-47.41%

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

$25.2K A$35.0K

$35.3K €30.4K

-28.58%

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

$32.3K A$44.9K

$41.4K €35.6K

-22.00%

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

$212 A$294

$170 €146

24.40%

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

$28.36 A$39.37

$19.34 €16.62

46.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 A$70.3

$33.64 €28.92

50.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.8 A$84.4

$48.10 €41.35

26.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.45 A$25.62

$19.90 €17.11

-7.29%

Cinema Ticket

$15.70 A$21.80

$9.92 €8.53

58.27%

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

$2,419 A$3,358

$717 €617

237.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K A$29.4K

$17.5K €15.0K

21.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$84.9 A$118

$105 €90.1

-19.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.30 A$67.1

$46.95 €40.36

2.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 A$161

$103 €88.9

12.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$175

$124 €107

1.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 A$2,036

$1,677 €1,441

-12.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,220 A$1,693

$1,271 €1,093

-4.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,294 A$3,185

$2,985 €2,566

-23.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 A$2,595

$1,992 €1,713

-6.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,704 A$9,306

$7,826 €6,728

-14.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,615 A$6,407

$4,658 €4,004

-0.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,676 A$3,715

$1,583 €1,361

69.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.85

3.79

54.35%

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

Last update for Albany: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,467 in Albany and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albany pays 69% 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: $84.0 in Albany vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $283 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

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Albany. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 69% higher in Albany, 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: $1,467 in Albany versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,702 per month in Albany versus $2,316 in Lisbon – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 97% less than in Albany. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,316 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Albany. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.