Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Anchorage, AK and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $3,290 in Anchorage, AK, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Anchorage, AK
🇺🇸 United States
$3,290
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,290 in Anchorage, AK versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Anchorage, AK $3,290
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,848 in Anchorage, AK versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Anchorage, AK $4,848
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,406 in Anchorage, AK versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Anchorage, AK $6,406
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Anchorage, AK is roughly 48% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Anchorage, AK 144% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Anchorage, AK
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.72 $24.72
$16.50 €14.67
49.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.5 $99.5
$61.3 €54.5
62.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.08 $15.08
$11.27 €10.03
33.81%
Cappuccino
$6.74 $6.74
$3.06 €2.72
120.26%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 $3.24
$2.26 €2.01
43.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.52 $2.52
$1.73 €1.54
45.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.17 $8.17
$3.39 €3.02
141.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.93 $9.93
$3.40 €3.02
192.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Anchorage, AK
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.19 $1.19
$1.12 €1.00
6.25%
White Bread (500g)
$4.80 $4.80
$1.86 €1.65
158.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.06 $6.06
$1.53 €1.36
296.08%
Eggs
$4.25 $4.25
$3.96 €3.53
7.32%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.72 $13.72
$12.76 €11.35
7.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.79 $12.79
$7.90 €7.02
61.90%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.40 $21.40
$16.97 €15.09
26.10%
Apples (1kg)
$8.16 $8.16
$2.27 €2.02
259.47%
Banana (1kg)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.75 €1.55
29.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.60 $5.60
$1.85 €1.64
202.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.11 $6.11
$2.57 €2.28
137.74%
Potato (1kg)
$2.98 $2.98
$1.86 €1.65
60.22%
Onion (1kg)
$3.16 $3.16
$2.02 €1.80
56.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.76 $2.76
$1.44 €1.28
91.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.34 $2.34
$0.82 €0.73
185.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.67 $12.67
$6.56 €5.83
93.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.76 $17.76
$5.62 €5.00
216.01%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.28 €1.14
33.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 $3.51
$2.07 €1.84
69.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Anchorage, AK
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.06 $2.06
$2.35 €2.09
-12.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.2 $60.2
$44.18 €39.30
36.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.71 $2.71
$3.99 €3.55
-32.08%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.88 $1.88
$1.09 €0.97
72.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.68 $41.68
$16.64 €14.81
150.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.25 $1.25
$2.28 €2.03
-45.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.3K $33.3K
$33.7K €30.0K
-1.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$39.3K €35.0K
-33.80%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Anchorage, AK
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$413 $413
$167 €149
146.84%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$90.3 $90.3
$18.80 €16.72
380.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$139 $139
$33.09 €29.43
321.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Anchorage, AK
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$91.5 $91.5
$46.01 €40.93
98.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$40.74 $40.74
$19.19 €17.07
112.30%
Cinema Ticket
$14.89 $14.89
$9.84 €8.75
51.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Anchorage, AK
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,238 $1,238
$677 €602
82.74%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$10.5K $10.5K
$16.9K €15.1K
-37.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Anchorage, AK
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$48.09 $48.09
$101 €90.1
-52.50%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.27 $45.27
$45.76 €40.70
-1.07%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 $113
$100.0 €88.9
13.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 $120
$123 €109
-2.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Anchorage, AK
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,778 $1,778
$1,614 €1,436
10.20%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,408 $1,408
$1,197 €1,065
17.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,834 $2,834
$2,862 €2,545
-0.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,467 $2,467
$1,990 €1,770
23.94%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,985 $3,985
$7,577 €6,740
-47.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,794 $2,794
$4,307 €3,831
-35.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Anchorage, AK
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,734 $4,734
$1,588 €1,412
198.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.49
3.85
68.57%

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

Last update for Anchorage, AK: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Anchorage, AK
$1.4K
Lisbon
$1.2K 15% $210
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Anchorage, AK
$643
Lisbon
$219 65.9% $424
Groceries & Markets
Anchorage, AK
$483
Lisbon
$269 44.3% $214
Eating Out
Anchorage, AK
$408
Lisbon
$242 40.6% $165
Clothing & Footwear
Anchorage, AK
$147
Lisbon
$166 13.3% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Anchorage, AK
$121
Lisbon
$66 45.8% $56
Getting Around
Anchorage, AK
$81
Lisbon
$63 21.7% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,778 in Anchorage, AK and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Anchorage, AK pays 198% 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: $99.0 in Anchorage, AK vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $483 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Anchorage, AK
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
06:23 6:23 AM
15:23 3:23 PM
9 h ahead of Anchorage, AK
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
289,600
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Anchorage, AK Lisbon 8,300 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Anchorage, AK
  • 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
Anchorage, AK vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Anchorage, AK or Lisbon?
Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Anchorage, AK. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Anchorage, AK or in Lisbon?
Average pay runs 198% higher in Anchorage, AK, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Anchorage, AK compared to Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,778 in Anchorage, AK versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Anchorage, AK and in Lisbon?
Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $99.0 in Anchorage, AK. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Anchorage, AK compared to Lisbon?
All in, you'll spend $3,290 per month in Anchorage, AK versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Anchorage, AK or in Lisbon?
At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $3,290 in Anchorage, AK, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Anchorage, AK. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Anchorage, AK or Lisbon?
Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,223 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.
How safe is Anchorage, AK compared to Lisbon?
Safety-wise, Anchorage, AK 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Anchorage, AK. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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