Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bellingham, WA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,010 in Bellingham, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Bellingham, WA
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Bellingham, WA Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Bellingham, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,010

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,010 per month in Bellingham, WA vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bellingham, WA $3,010
Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $4,448 per month in Bellingham, WA vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bellingham, WA $4,448
Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $5,886 per month in Bellingham, WA vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bellingham, WA $5,886
Lisbon $4,341

Bellingham, WA costs about 36% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bellingham, WA and Lisbon sit above the global median – Bellingham, WA by 121%, Lisbon by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 $24.70

$16.65 €14.95

48.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$61.7 €55.5

63.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 $13.26

$11.36 €10.20

16.73%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$2.97 €2.67

100.00%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$2.29 €2.06

37.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.74 €1.56

25.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.87 $6.87

$3.40 €3.06

102.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$3.31 €2.97

108.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.16 €1.04

-2.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.82 $3.82

$1.91 €1.72

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$1.51 €1.36

225.17%

Eggs

$4.96 $4.96

$4.02 €3.61

23.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.80 $18.80

$12.94 €11.62

45.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.61 $18.61

$7.77 €6.98

139.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.00 $23.00

$17.76 €15.95

29.50%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.30 €2.07

123.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.73 €1.56

9.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$1.86 €1.67

186.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.32 $6.32

$2.59 €2.33

144.02%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$1.82 €1.64

98.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.97 €1.77

60.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.47 €1.32

73.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.72 €0.65

243.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.44 $12.44

$6.58 €5.91

89.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 $14.95

$5.61 €5.04

166.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.36 €1.22

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 $5.74

$2.14 €1.92

168.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.33 €2.10

-14.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.51 $30.51

$44.68 €40.14

-31.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.85 €3.46

-30.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.07 €0.96

58.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.27 $30.27

$16.46 €14.79

83.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$2.20 €1.98

-34.55%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.2K €30.7K

-19.54%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$38.7K €34.8K

-33.58%

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

$217 $217

$161 €145

34.67%

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

$57.4 $57.4

$18.41 €16.54

211.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.3 $81.3

$32.74 €29.41

148.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.0 $62.0

$44.55 €40.02

39.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$19.10 €17.16

-22.41%

Cinema Ticket

$18.31 $18.31

$9.60 €8.62

90.73%

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

$1,125 $1,125

$668 €600

68.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.7K $31.7K

$17.6K €15.8K

79.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.5 $80.5

$102 €91.6

-21.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.32 $28.32

$44.46 €39.94

-36.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$98.5 €88.5

10.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$124 €111

20.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 $1,707

$1,608 €1,445

6.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,458 $1,458

$1,190 €1,069

22.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,598 $2,598

$2,812 €2,526

-7.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,347 $2,347

$2,013 €1,808

16.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,441 $4,441

$7,839 €7,042

-43.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,925 $3,925

$4,576 €4,110

-14.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,391 $4,391

$1,575 €1,415

178.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

3.85

73.51%

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

Last update for Bellingham, WA: 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

Bellingham, WA

$1.5K 48.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 18.4% $268

Groceries & Markets

Bellingham, WA

$505 16.8%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 46% $232

Eating Out

Bellingham, WA

$378 12.6%

Lisbon

$243 11% 35.8% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bellingham, WA

$356 11.8%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 40.3% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Bellingham, WA

$165 5.5%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 0.5% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Bellingham, WA

$99 3.3%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 35.4% $35

Getting Around

Bellingham, WA

$50 1.7%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 27.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,707 in Bellingham, WA 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.

Salaries in Bellingham, WA are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $101 in Bellingham, WA versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $505 vs $272 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bellingham, WA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

10:59 10:59 AM

17:59 5:59 PM

7 h ahead of Bellingham, WA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

91,482

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

Bellingham, WA Lisbon 8,290 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bellingham, WA
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

Bellingham, WA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bellingham, WA costs about 36% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,515 per month in Bellingham, WA and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,707 in Bellingham, WA and $1,608 in Lisbon. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $1,125 per month in Bellingham, WA and $668 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 85% more in Bellingham, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,210, than in Bellingham, WA at $3,010. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bellingham, WA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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, Bellingham, WA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.