Cost of Living Comparison Between Bowling Green, KY and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Bowling Green, KY and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,088 in Bowling Green, KY versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,089 in Bowling Green, KY versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,090 in Bowling Green, KY versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Bowling Green, KY costs roughly 9% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bowling Green, KY 56% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.39 $11.39

$16.19 €14.17

-29.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.5 $55.5

$63.3 €55.4

-12.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 $10.16

$10.32 €9.03

-1.55%

Cappuccino

$5.03 $5.03

$2.83 €2.48

77.74%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$2.29 €2.00

-0.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.58 €1.38

10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.40 €2.98

19.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 $6.03

$4.03 €3.52

49.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 $0.69

$1.09 €0.95

-36.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.75 €1.53

28.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.76 €1.54

28.98%

Eggs

$2.97 $2.97

$3.17 €2.77

-6.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.99 $9.99

$13.19 €11.54

-24.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.62 $8.62

$7.97 €6.97

8.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.72 $14.72

$15.53 €13.59

-5.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.37 €2.07

99.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.71 €1.49

-26.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.01 €1.76

4.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.43 €2.13

84.36%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.76 €1.54

86.93%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.03 €1.78

59.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.92 €1.68

1.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$0.85 €0.74

110.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.09 $8.09

$6.58 €5.76

22.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.14 $13.14

$5.58 €4.88

135.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.33 €1.17

28.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.97 €2.60

-40.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.28 €1.99

51.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.33 $40.33

$45.79 €40.06

-11.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 $5.04

$4.23 €3.70

19.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$0.81 €0.71

55.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.65 $24.65

$18.44 €16.13

33.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$2.08 €1.82

-62.02%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$34.7K €30.3K

-33.82%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$39.2K €34.3K

-34.24%

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

$161 $161

$148 €130

9.00%

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

$43.22 $43.22

$20.46 €17.90

111.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.9 $65.9

$39.56 €34.61

66.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.12 $30.12

$47.99 €41.99

-37.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.99 $11.99

$18.60 €16.27

-35.54%

Cinema Ticket

$15.14 $15.14

$9.22 €8.07

64.21%

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

$1,185 $1,185

$616 €539

92.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$16.4K €14.4K

53.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 $54.1

$103 €89.9

-47.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.22 $35.22

$41.74 €36.52

-15.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 $74.7

$94.8 €82.9

-21.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.2 $75.2

$122 €107

-38.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,188 $1,188

$1,633 €1,428

-27.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 $1,002

$1,232 €1,078

-18.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 $1,804

$3,098 €2,711

-41.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,878 $1,878

$2,031 €1,777

-7.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,984 $1,984

$7,831 €6,851

-74.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,962 $1,962

$4,389 €3,840

-55.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,931 $2,931

$1,607 €1,406

82.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

3.81

71.39%

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

Last update for Bowling Green, KY: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,188 in Bowling Green, KY and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bowling Green, KY pays 82% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $55.0 in Bowling Green, KY vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $314 vs $267, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Bowling Green, KY vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bowling Green, KY wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bowling Green, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 82% higher in Bowling Green, KY, 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: $1,188 in Bowling Green, KY versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Bowling Green, KY – a meal for two runs $55.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,088 in Bowling Green, KY versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bowling Green, KY but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bowling Green, KY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bowling Green, KY delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,088 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bowling Green, KY hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Bowling Green, KY 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 Bowling Green, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.