Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bel Air, MD and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,655 in Bel Air, MD, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

127

Cost of Living Index in Bel Air, MD
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Bel Air, MD Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Bel Air, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,655

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,655 per month in Bel Air, MD vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bel Air, MD $2,655
Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $3,800 per month in Bel Air, MD vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bel Air, MD $3,800
Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $4,945 per month in Bel Air, MD vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bel Air, MD $4,945
Lisbon $4,346

Bel Air, MD costs about 21% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bel Air, MD and Lisbon sit above the global median – Bel Air, MD by 96%, Lisbon by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.74 $15.74

$17.04 €15.15

-7.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.4 $68.4

$62.3 €55.4

9.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 $10.19

$11.02 €9.80

-7.53%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$3.12 €2.78

71.47%

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

$1.77 $1.77

$2.27 €2.02

-22.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.74 €1.55

-1.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.38 $6.38

$3.42 €3.04

86.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.48 $6.48

$3.74 €3.33

73.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.17 €1.04

-13.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.86 €1.66

85.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$1.54 €1.37

174.68%

Eggs

$4.12 $4.12

$4.06 €3.61

1.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.25 $12.25

$12.91 €11.49

-5.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 $11.63

$7.90 €7.03

47.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.12 $17.12

$17.64 €15.69

-2.95%

Apples (1kg)

$5.13 $5.13

$2.26 €2.01

126.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.75 €1.55

-9.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$1.89 €1.68

122.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.56 €2.27

87.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.85 €1.64

52.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$1.97 €1.75

53.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.45 €1.29

50.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.77 €0.69

188.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.18 $10.18

$6.71 €5.97

51.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.22 $15.22

$5.67 €5.04

168.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.37 €1.22

44.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.11 €1.88

57.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.32 €2.07

-19.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 $101

$44.43 €39.52

127.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.95 €3.51

-21.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.05 €0.93

62.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.88 $29.88

$17.15 €15.26

74.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.19 €1.95

-51.60%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$33.8K €30.0K

-16.61%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$38.3K €34.0K

-32.91%

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

$202 $202

$164 €146

23.25%

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

$57.4 $57.4

$18.48 €16.43

210.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 $70.4

$32.96 €29.32

113.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.99 $35.99

$45.87 €40.80

-21.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.52 $38.52

$18.68 €16.61

106.21%

Cinema Ticket

$12.65 $12.65

$9.75 €8.67

29.74%

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

$1,424 $1,424

$684 €608

108.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$17.6K €15.7K

32.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.79 $47.79

$104 €92.3

-53.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.48 $41.48

$46.20 €41.09

-10.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.4 $94.4

$99.7 €88.7

-5.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$125 €111

-19.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 $1,814

$1,589 €1,414

14.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,339 $1,339

$1,169 €1,040

14.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,585 $2,585

$2,851 €2,536

-9.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 $2,057

$1,993 €1,773

3.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,551 $2,551

$7,793 €6,932

-67.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,446 $2,446

$4,418 €3,930

-44.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,092 $5,092

$1,600 €1,423

218.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

3.85

70.65%

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

Last update for Bel Air, MD: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bel Air, MD

$1.3K 50.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 12.7% $170

Groceries & Markets

Bel Air, MD

$397 15%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 31.2% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bel Air, MD

$330 12.4%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 34.7% $114

Eating Out

Bel Air, MD

$279 10.5%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 11.5% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Bel Air, MD

$128 4.8%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 31.9% $41

Getting Around

Bel Air, MD

$120 4.5%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 47.7% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Bel Air, MD

$61 2.3%

Lisbon

$65 3% 6.6% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,814 in Bel Air, MD versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 218% higher in Bel Air, MD, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $68.0 in Bel Air, MD versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $397 vs $273 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bel Air, MD

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

20:26 8:26 PM

01:26 1:26 AM

5 h ahead of Bel Air, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,253

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Bel Air, MD Lisbon 5,660 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Bel Air, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $2,655 in Bel Air, MD, $2,202 in Lisbon – roughly 21% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,982 per month in Bel Air, MD and $3,302 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,655 in Bel Air, MD and $2,202 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 21%.

Public transport costs about 128% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,202, than in Bel Air, MD at $2,655. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bel Air, MD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,202 in Lisbon to $2,655 in Bel Air, MD. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Bel Air, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.