Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baltimore, MD and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,603 in Baltimore, MD, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Baltimore, MD
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Baltimore, MD Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Baltimore, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,603

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,603 in Baltimore, MD versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Baltimore, MD $2,603
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,940 in Baltimore, MD versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Baltimore, MD $3,940
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,277 in Baltimore, MD versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Baltimore, MD $5,277
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Baltimore, MD is roughly 18% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Baltimore, MD 91% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.89 $17.89

$16.65 €14.92

7.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 $94.6

$61.7 €55.3

53.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.58 $10.58

$11.36 €10.18

-6.87%

Cappuccino

$5.20 $5.20

$2.97 €2.66

75.08%

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

$3.45 $3.45

$2.29 €2.05

50.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.74 €1.56

49.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.92 $6.92

$3.40 €3.05

103.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 $8.08

$3.31 €2.97

144.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.16 €1.04

-0.86%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.91 €1.71

116.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$1.51 €1.36

181.46%

Eggs

$5.04 $5.04

$4.02 €3.60

25.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.57 $12.57

$12.94 €11.59

-2.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.88 $12.88

$7.77 €6.97

65.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.12 $18.12

$17.76 €15.92

2.03%

Apples (1kg)

$5.90 $5.90

$2.30 €2.06

156.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.73 €1.55

-10.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$1.86 €1.66

204.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.59 €2.32

85.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.82 €1.63

48.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.97 €1.76

45.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.47 €1.32

60.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.72 €0.65

213.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.27 $13.27

$6.58 €5.90

101.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.80 $15.80

$5.61 €5.02

181.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.36 €1.22

96.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$2.14 €1.91

78.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.33 €2.09

-11.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.6 $77.6

$44.68 €40.04

73.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.85 €3.45

-54.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.07 €0.96

28.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.89 $23.89

$16.46 €14.75

45.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.20 €1.97

-51.36%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$34.2K €30.6K

0.97%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$38.7K €34.7K

-31.33%

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

$217 $217

$161 €144

34.77%

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

$68.1 $68.1

$18.41 €16.50

269.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$88.8 $88.8

$32.74 €29.34

171.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.25 $47.25

$44.55 €39.92

6.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$47.67 $47.67

$19.10 €17.11

149.58%

Cinema Ticket

$14.95 $14.95

$9.60 €8.60

55.73%

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

$1,934 $1,934

$668 €598

189.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.0K $35.0K

$17.6K €15.8K

98.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 $53.3

$102 €91.4

-47.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.1 $62.1

$44.46 €39.85

39.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 $94.0

$98.5 €88.3

-4.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$124 €111

-9.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 $1,735

$1,608 €1,441

7.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,165 $1,165

$1,190 €1,066

-2.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,179 $2,179

$2,812 €2,520

-22.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,026 $2,026

$2,013 €1,804

0.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,404 $2,404

$7,839 €7,025

-69.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,214 $2,214

$4,576 €4,100

-51.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,375 $4,375

$1,575 €1,411

177.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

3.85

74.55%

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

Last update for Baltimore, MD: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baltimore, MD

$1.2K 44.8%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 2.1% $25

Groceries & Markets

Baltimore, MD

$435 16.7%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 37.4% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baltimore, MD

$374 14.4%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 43.3% $162

Eating Out

Baltimore, MD

$312 12%

Lisbon

$243 11% 22.3% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Baltimore, MD

$144 5.6%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 14.9% $22

Getting Around

Baltimore, MD

$94 3.6%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 33.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Baltimore, MD

$77 3%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 17.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,735 in Baltimore, MD and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baltimore, MD pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $95 in Baltimore, MD vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $435 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Baltimore, MD

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

01:08 1:08 AM

06:08 6:08 AM

5 h ahead of Baltimore, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

585,708

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Baltimore, MD Lisbon 5,690 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Baltimore, MD
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

Baltimore, MD vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Baltimore, MD. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Baltimore, MD is about 2.8 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: $1,735 in Baltimore, MD versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Baltimore, MD. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $95 in Baltimore, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Baltimore, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.