Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Belfast, ME and Lisbon

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

Belfast, ME, United States
Lisbon, Portugal
Belfast, ME
🇺🇸 United States
$2,603
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,603 per month in Belfast, ME vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Belfast, ME $2,603
  • Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $3,832 per month in Belfast, ME vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Belfast, ME $3,832
  • Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $5,060 per month in Belfast, ME vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Belfast, ME $5,060
  • Lisbon $4,341

Belfast, ME costs about 18% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Belfast, ME and Lisbon sit above the global median – Belfast, ME by 91%, Lisbon by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Belfast, ME
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.23 $20.23
$16.65 €14.95
21.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$76.3 $76.3
$61.7 €55.5
23.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.37 $11.37
$11.36 €10.20
0.09%
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$2.97 €2.67
84.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.59 $2.59
$2.29 €2.06
13.10%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.74 €1.56
12.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.94 $5.94
$3.40 €3.06
74.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.39 $7.39
$3.31 €2.97
123.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Belfast, ME
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 $1.05
$1.16 €1.04
-9.48%
White Bread (500g)
$3.58 $3.58
$1.91 €1.72
87.43%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.44 $4.44
$1.51 €1.36
194.04%
Eggs
$4.10 $4.10
$4.02 €3.61
1.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.58 $12.58
$12.94 €11.62
-2.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.82 $11.82
$7.77 €6.98
52.12%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.14 $17.14
$17.76 €15.95
-3.49%
Apples (1kg)
$4.98 $4.98
$2.30 €2.07
116.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.58 $1.58
$1.73 €1.56
-8.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.42 $4.42
$1.86 €1.67
137.63%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.05 $4.05
$2.59 €2.33
56.37%
Potato (1kg)
$2.89 $2.89
$1.82 €1.64
58.79%
Onion (1kg)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.97 €1.77
48.22%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.14 $2.14
$1.47 €1.32
45.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.31 $2.31
$0.72 €0.65
220.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.18 $10.18
$6.58 €5.91
54.71%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.97 $14.97
$5.61 €5.04
166.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 $2.13
$1.36 €1.22
56.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 $3.44
$2.14 €1.92
60.75%
🚌 Getting Around
Belfast, ME
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.79 $1.79
$2.33 €2.10
-23.18%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$59.0 $59.0
$44.68 €40.14
31.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.31 $3.31
$3.85 €3.46
-14.03%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.07 €0.96
85.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.30 $26.30
$16.46 €14.79
59.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$2.20 €1.98
-55.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.5K $28.5K
$34.2K €30.7K
-16.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K $26.1K
$38.7K €34.8K
-32.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belfast, ME
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$202 $202
$161 €145
25.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.9 $58.9
$18.41 €16.54
219.66%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.7 $69.7
$32.74 €29.41
112.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Belfast, ME
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.70 $40.70
$44.55 €40.02
-8.64%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.10 €17.16
-
Cinema Ticket
$12.27 $12.27
$9.60 €8.62
27.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Belfast, ME
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,382 $1,382
$668 €600
106.99%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.3K $24.3K
$17.6K €15.8K
38.22%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Belfast, ME
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$102 €91.6
-48.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.70 $40.70
$44.46 €39.94
-8.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.6 $88.6
$98.5 €88.5
-10.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$112 $112
$124 €111
-9.15%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Belfast, ME
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,570 $1,570
$1,608 €1,445
-2.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$1,190 €1,069
6.86%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,533 $2,533
$2,812 €2,526
-9.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,133 $2,133
$2,013 €1,808
5.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,799 $2,799
$7,839 €7,042
-64.30%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,330 $2,330
$4,576 €4,110
-49.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Belfast, ME
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,575 €1,415
-
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 Belfast, ME: 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
Belfast, ME
$1.3K
Lisbon
$1.2K 6.4% $82
Groceries & Markets
Belfast, ME
$399
Lisbon
$272 31.8% $127
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Belfast, ME
$331
Lisbon
$212 35.8% $118
Eating Out
Belfast, ME
$324
Lisbon
$243 25.2% $82
Clothing & Footwear
Belfast, ME
$133
Lisbon
$166 25.2% $33
Getting Around
Belfast, ME
$79
Lisbon
$63 20.3% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Belfast, ME
$65
Lisbon
$64 2.3% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,570 in Belfast, ME versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76 in Belfast, ME versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $399 vs $272 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Belfast, ME
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
12:52 12:52 PM
16:52 4:52 PM
4 h ahead of Belfast, ME
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
6,800
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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Belfast, ME Lisbon 4,910 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Belfast, ME
  • 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
Belfast, ME vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lisbon cheaper than Belfast, ME?
Yes – Belfast, ME is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,904 per month in Belfast, ME and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Belfast, ME and Lisbon?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,570 in Belfast, ME and $1,608 in Lisbon. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 24% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,382 per month in Belfast, ME and $668 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough for either Belfast, ME or Lisbon?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,603 in Belfast, ME and $2,210 in Lisbon, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Belfast, ME or in Lisbon?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,210 in Lisbon to $2,603 in Belfast, ME. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Belfast, ME or Lisbon?
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.

Belfast, ME vs other spots: cost of living compared

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