Cost of Living Comparison Between Baltimore, MD and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Baltimore, MD and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,760 in Baltimore, MD versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,044 in Baltimore, MD versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,327 in Baltimore, MD versus $4,307 in Lisbon.

Living in Baltimore, MD is roughly 21% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Baltimore, MD 107% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.84 $19.84

$15.75 €13.67

25.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$63.5 €55.1

24.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 $10.17

$10.45 €9.07

-2.68%

Cappuccino

$4.91 $4.91

$2.91 €2.53

68.73%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$2.29 €1.99

6.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.50 €1.30

42.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.56 €3.09

70.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.67 $7.67

$3.96 €3.44

93.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.08 €0.94

-7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.96 $3.96

$1.76 €1.53

125.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$1.70 €1.47

162.35%

Eggs

$4.48 $4.48

$3.25 €2.82

37.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.23 $13.23

$13.25 €11.49

-0.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$7.70 €6.68

26.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.28 $16.28

$15.77 €13.68

3.23%

Apples (1kg)

$7.00 $7.00

$2.28 €1.98

207.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.66 €1.44

-6.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.22 $7.22

$2.02 €1.75

257.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$2.47 €2.15

119.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.79 €1.55

55.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.07 €1.79

38.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.97 €1.71

26.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.83 €0.72

216.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.39 $12.39

$6.55 €5.69

89.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.43 $15.43

$5.57 €4.83

177.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.33 €1.15

72.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.01 €2.61

37.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.27 €1.97

13.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.2 $76.2

$46.35 €40.21

64.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.82 $1.82

$4.23 €3.67

-56.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 $1.34

$0.85 €0.74

57.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.19 $24.19

$18.83 €16.33

28.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.02 €1.75

-56.93%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$35.0K €30.3K

-29.05%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$39.6K €34.4K

-34.91%

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

$173 $173

$148 €128

16.62%

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

$56.4 $56.4

$20.52 €17.80

174.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.4 $78.4

$39.52 €34.29

98.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$58.2 $58.2

$48.17 €41.79

20.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.65 $29.65

$18.39 €15.95

61.23%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$9.10 €7.89

61.54%

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

$1,264 $1,264

$615 €533

105.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.5K $33.5K

$16.3K €14.1K

105.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 $51.9

$102 €88.1

-48.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$72.2 $72.2

$42.09 €36.51

71.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$92.3 €80.1

-8.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$122 €106

-8.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,837 $1,837

$1,612 €1,398

14.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,345 $1,345

$1,254 €1,088

7.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,312 $3,312

$3,069 €2,663

7.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 $2,269

$2,037 €1,767

11.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,497 $2,497

$7,751 €6,724

-67.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,286 $2,286

$4,286 €3,718

-46.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,355 $4,355

$1,602 €1,390

171.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

3.81

72.97%

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

Last update for Baltimore, MD: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,837 in Baltimore, MD and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Baltimore, MD pays 172% 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: $79.0 in Baltimore, MD vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $429 vs $267 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

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

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 21% 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 runs 172% higher in Baltimore, MD, 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: $1,837 in Baltimore, MD versus $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% 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 $63.0 versus $79.0 in Baltimore, MD. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 $2,280 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Baltimore, MD 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 21% less than in Baltimore, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.