Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bakersfield, CA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,855 in Bakersfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

137

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

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Bakersfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,855

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,855 in Bakersfield, CA versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Bakersfield, CA $2,855
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,902 in Bakersfield, CA versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Bakersfield, CA $3,902
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,949 in Bakersfield, CA versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Bakersfield, CA $4,949
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Bakersfield, CA is roughly 29% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bakersfield, CA 110% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.64 $18.64

$16.65 €14.95

11.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 $64.8

$61.7 €55.5

4.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.10 $14.10

$11.36 €10.20

24.12%

Cappuccino

$5.74 $5.74

$2.97 €2.67

93.27%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$2.29 €2.06

19.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.74 €1.56

15.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.90 $5.90

$3.40 €3.06

73.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.81 $5.81

$3.31 €2.97

75.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.16 €1.04

-6.03%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$1.91 €1.72

117.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$1.51 €1.36

235.76%

Eggs

$3.29 $3.29

$4.02 €3.61

-18.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$12.94 €11.62

-1.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$7.77 €6.98

71.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.93 $15.93

$17.76 €15.95

-10.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.30 €2.07

80.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.73 €1.56

17.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$1.86 €1.67

112.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.59 €2.33

46.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.82 €1.64

17.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.97 €1.77

22.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.47 €1.32

44.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$0.72 €0.65

244.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.59 $11.59

$6.58 €5.91

76.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.80 $17.80

$5.61 €5.04

217.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.36 €1.22

44.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 $4.79

$2.14 €1.92

123.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.33 €2.10

-30.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 $58.1

$44.68 €40.14

30.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.85 €3.46

-21.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.07 €0.96

93.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.20 €1.98

-30.91%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.2K €30.7K

-19.58%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$38.7K €34.8K

-29.89%

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

$390 $390

$161 €145

142.15%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$18.41 €16.54

222.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 $74.9

$32.74 €29.41

128.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.71 $32.71

$44.55 €40.02

-26.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.81 $24.81

$19.10 €17.16

29.90%

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$9.60 €8.62

57.40%

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

$1,501 $1,501

$668 €600

124.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 $59.9

$102 €91.6

-41.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.66 $47.66

$44.46 €39.94

7.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.9 $98.9

$98.5 €88.5

0.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$124 €111

-2.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,536 $1,536

$1,608 €1,445

-4.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 $1,311

$1,190 €1,069

10.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,828 $1,828

$2,812 €2,526

-35.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,834 $1,834

$2,013 €1,808

-8.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,742 $2,742

$7,839 €7,042

-65.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,430 $2,430

$4,576 €4,110

-46.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,743 $3,743

$1,575 €1,415

137.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

3.85

67.01%

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

Last update for Bakersfield, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bakersfield, CA

$1.3K 45.9%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 9.2% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bakersfield, CA

$525 18.4%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 59.5% $312

Groceries & Markets

Bakersfield, CA

$411 14.4%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 33.7% $139

Eating Out

Bakersfield, CA

$320 11.2%

Lisbon

$243 11% 24.3% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Bakersfield, CA

$147 5.2%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 12.8% $19

Getting Around

Bakersfield, CA

$78 2.7%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 18.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Bakersfield, CA

$63 2.2%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 1.3% $0.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,536 in Bakersfield, CA and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bakersfield, CA pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $65 in Bakersfield, CA vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bakersfield, CA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

11:03 11:03 AM

18:03 6:03 PM

7 h ahead of Bakersfield, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

373,640

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

Bakersfield, CA Lisbon 9,080 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Bakersfield, 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

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

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. The 29% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Bakersfield, CA is about 2.4 times higher, 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: $1,536 in Bakersfield, CA versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $65 in Bakersfield, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you’ll spend $2,855 per month in Bakersfield, CA versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Bakersfield, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.