Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Blacksburg, VA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Blacksburg, VA: $1,992 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Blacksburg, VA
🇺🇸 United States
$1,992
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,992 per month in Blacksburg, VA vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Blacksburg, VA $1,992
  • Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $3,107 per month in Blacksburg, VA vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Blacksburg, VA $3,107
  • Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $4,223 per month in Blacksburg, VA vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Blacksburg, VA $4,223
  • Lisbon $4,346

Blacksburg, VA is about 10% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Blacksburg, VA and Lisbon sit above the global median – Blacksburg, VA by 47%, Lisbon by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Blacksburg, VA
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.94 $16.94
$17.04 €15.15
-0.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 $65.8
$62.3 €55.4
5.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.41 $8.41
$11.02 €9.80
-23.68%
Cappuccino
$4.89 $4.89
$3.12 €2.78
56.73%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.84 $2.84
$2.27 €2.02
25.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 $2.05
$1.74 €1.55
17.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.91 $5.91
$3.42 €3.04
72.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.79 $6.79
$3.74 €3.33
81.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Blacksburg, VA
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.17 €1.04
-19.66%
White Bread (500g)
$3.14 $3.14
$1.86 €1.66
68.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.01 $3.01
$1.54 €1.37
95.45%
Eggs
$4.49 $4.49
$4.06 €3.61
10.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.81 $14.81
$12.91 €11.49
14.72%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.89 $9.89
$7.90 €7.03
25.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.17 $10.17
$17.64 €15.69
-42.35%
Apples (1kg)
$5.16 $5.16
$2.26 €2.01
128.32%
Banana (1kg)
$1.28 $1.28
$1.75 €1.55
-26.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$1.89 €1.68
129.10%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.76 $4.76
$2.56 €2.27
85.94%
Potato (1kg)
$2.46 $2.46
$1.85 €1.64
32.97%
Onion (1kg)
$2.08 $2.08
$1.97 €1.75
5.58%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.45 €1.29
40.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.32 $1.32
$0.77 €0.69
71.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.84 $8.84
$6.71 €5.97
31.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.21 $15.21
$5.67 €5.04
168.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.37 €1.22
62.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 $2.75
$2.11 €1.88
30.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Blacksburg, VA
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.32 €2.07
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.43 €39.52
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.99 $2.99
$3.95 €3.51
-24.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.86 $1.86
$1.05 €0.93
77.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.97 $11.97
$17.15 €15.26
-30.20%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 $0.86
$2.19 €1.95
-60.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.2K $25.2K
$33.8K €30.0K
-25.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.8K $23.8K
$38.3K €34.0K
-37.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Blacksburg, VA
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 $162
$164 €146
-1.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$29.57 $29.57
$18.48 €16.43
60.01%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.0 $68.0
$32.96 €29.32
106.31%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Blacksburg, VA
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.21 $40.21
$45.87 €40.80
-12.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.18 $10.18
$18.68 €16.61
-45.50%
Cinema Ticket
$15.11 $15.11
$9.75 €8.67
54.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Blacksburg, VA
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$856 $856
$684 €608
25.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.1K $24.1K
$17.6K €15.7K
36.80%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Blacksburg, VA
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$36.85 $36.85
$104 €92.3
-64.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.91 $31.91
$46.20 €41.09
-30.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.8 $76.8
$99.7 €88.7
-23.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.5 $83.5
$125 €111
-33.04%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Blacksburg, VA
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,306 $1,306
$1,589 €1,414
-17.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$912 $912
$1,169 €1,040
-21.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,114 $2,114
$2,851 €2,536
-25.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,828 $1,828
$1,993 €1,773
-8.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,110 $2,110
$7,793 €6,932
-72.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,101 $2,101
$4,418 €3,930
-52.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Blacksburg, VA
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,117 $4,117
$1,600 €1,423
157.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.61
3.85
71.69%

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

Last update for Blacksburg, VA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Blacksburg, VA
$912
Lisbon
$1.2K 28.1% $257
Groceries & Markets
Blacksburg, VA
$352
Lisbon
$273 22.5% $79
Eating Out
Blacksburg, VA
$282
Lisbon
$247 12.3% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Blacksburg, VA
$259
Lisbon
$215 17% $44
Clothing & Footwear
Blacksburg, VA
$103
Lisbon
$168 63.4% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Blacksburg, VA
$70
Lisbon
$65 7.2% $5.1
Getting Around
Blacksburg, VA
$12 *
Lisbon
$63 413% $51

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,306 in Blacksburg, VA 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 157% higher in Blacksburg, VA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66.0 in Blacksburg, VA versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $352 vs $273 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Blacksburg, VA
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
23:09 11:09 PM
04:09 4:09 AM
5 h ahead of Blacksburg, VA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
44,826
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 23, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Blacksburg, VA Lisbon 6,080 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Blacksburg, VA
  • 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
Blacksburg, VA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Blacksburg, VA and in Lisbon compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,992 in Blacksburg, VA, $2,202 in Lisbon – roughly 11% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Blacksburg, VA compared to Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,988 per month in Blacksburg, VA and $3,302 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Blacksburg, VA and Lisbon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Blacksburg, VA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Blacksburg, VA or Lisbon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,992 in Blacksburg, VA and $2,202 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 11%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Blacksburg, VA and Lisbon?
Kindergarten costs $856 per month in Blacksburg, VA and $684 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Blacksburg, VA, where all-in costs run around $1,992, than in Lisbon at $2,202. In Blacksburg, VA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Blacksburg, VA and Lisbon?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,992 in Blacksburg, VA to $2,202 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Blacksburg, VA or Lisbon safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Blacksburg, VA and Lisbon?
If budget matters most, go with Blacksburg, VA. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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