Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brooklyn, NY and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $4,499 in Brooklyn, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brooklyn, NY
🇺🇸 United States
$4,499
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,499 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $2,223 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Brooklyn, NY $4,499
  • Lisbon $2,223

A couple spends around $6,656 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $3,271 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Brooklyn, NY $6,656
  • Lisbon $3,271

A family of three spends $8,813 per month in Brooklyn, NY vs $4,319 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Brooklyn, NY $8,813
  • Lisbon $4,319

Brooklyn, NY costs about 102% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Brooklyn, NY and Lisbon sit above the global median – Brooklyn, NY by 233%, Lisbon by 65%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brooklyn, NY
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.21 $20.21
$16.50 €14.67
22.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$105 $105
$61.3 €54.5
70.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.90 $11.90
$11.27 €10.02
5.59%
Cappuccino
$5.44 $5.44
$3.06 €2.72
77.78%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 $2.63
$2.26 €2.01
16.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.73 €1.54
27.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.01 $8.01
$3.39 €3.02
136.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.84 $8.84
$3.40 €3.02
160.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brooklyn, NY
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.12 €1.00
48.21%
White Bread (500g)
$4.75 $4.75
$1.86 €1.65
155.38%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$7.07 $7.07
$1.53 €1.36
362.09%
Eggs
$6.22 $6.22
$3.96 €3.53
57.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.46 $16.46
$12.76 €11.35
29.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.33 $17.33
$7.90 €7.02
119.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.76 $19.76
$16.97 €15.09
16.44%
Apples (1kg)
$8.02 $8.02
$2.27 €2.02
253.30%
Banana (1kg)
$3.85 $3.85
$1.75 €1.55
120.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.33 $5.33
$1.85 €1.64
188.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.93 $5.93
$2.57 €2.28
130.74%
Potato (1kg)
$4.05 $4.05
$1.86 €1.65
117.74%
Onion (1kg)
$4.71 $4.71
$2.02 €1.80
133.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.51 $2.51
$1.44 €1.28
74.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.52 $2.52
$0.82 €0.73
207.32%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.79 $14.79
$6.56 €5.83
125.46%
Wine (Bottle)
$21.38 $21.38
$5.62 €5.00
280.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.70 $2.70
$1.28 €1.14
110.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 $3.40
$2.07 €1.84
64.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Brooklyn, NY
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.98 $2.98
$2.35 €2.09
26.81%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$150 $150
$44.18 €39.29
238.95%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.07 $3.07
$3.99 €3.55
-23.06%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.09 €0.97
101.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.24 $42.24
$16.64 €14.80
153.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.14 $1.14
$2.28 €2.03
-50.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.1K $35.1K
$33.7K €30.0K
4.24%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K $25.5K
$39.3K €34.9K
-35.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brooklyn, NY
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$244 $244
$167 €149
45.80%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.0 $62.0
$18.80 €16.72
229.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$62.1 $62.1
$33.09 €29.43
87.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brooklyn, NY
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$106 $106
$46.01 €40.92
129.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.45 $34.45
$19.19 €17.07
79.52%
Cinema Ticket
$19.76 $19.76
$9.84 €8.75
100.81%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brooklyn, NY
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,593 $2,593
$677 €602
282.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$33.9K $33.9K
$16.9K €15.0K
100.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brooklyn, NY
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$70.4 $70.4
$101 €90.0
-30.49%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$75.0 $75.0
$45.76 €40.70
63.79%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$122 $122
$100.0 €88.9
21.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 $122
$123 €109
-0.40%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brooklyn, NY
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,707 $3,707
$1,614 €1,435
129.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,744 $2,744
$1,197 €1,065
129.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$7,338 $7,338
$2,862 €2,545
156.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$4,835 $4,835
$1,990 €1,770
142.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$13.5K $13.5K
$7,577 €6,739
78.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$7,830 $7,830
$4,307 €3,831
81.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brooklyn, NY
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,613 $3,613
$1,588 €1,412
127.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.67
3.85
73.25%

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

Last update for Brooklyn, NY: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brooklyn, NY
$2.7K
Lisbon
$1.2K 56.4% $1.5K
Groceries & Markets
Brooklyn, NY
$552
Lisbon
$269 51.2% $282
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brooklyn, NY
$368
Lisbon
$219 40.4% $149
Eating Out
Brooklyn, NY
$340
Lisbon
$242 28.7% $98
Getting Around
Brooklyn, NY
$176
Lisbon
$63 64.1% $113
Clothing & Footwear
Brooklyn, NY
$175
Lisbon
$166 5% $8.7
Sport & Entertainment
Brooklyn, NY
$145
Lisbon
$66 54.8% $79

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,707 in Brooklyn, NY versus $1,614 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 128% higher in Brooklyn, NY, 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 $105 in Brooklyn, NY versus $61.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $269 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Brooklyn, NY
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
07:32 7:32 AM
12:32 12:32 PM
5 h ahead of Brooklyn, NY
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,736,074
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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brooklyn, NY Lisbon 5,420 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brooklyn, NY
  • 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
Brooklyn, NY vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Brooklyn, NY and in Lisbon compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $4,499 in Brooklyn, NY, $2,223 in Lisbon – roughly 102% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Brooklyn, NY compared to Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,749 per month in Brooklyn, NY and $3,335 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Brooklyn, NY and Lisbon?
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.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $105 in Brooklyn, NY and $61.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Brooklyn, NY or Lisbon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,499 in Brooklyn, NY and $2,223 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 102%.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,223, than in Brooklyn, NY at $4,499. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Brooklyn, NY it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Brooklyn, NY and Lisbon?
It depends on your priorities. Brooklyn, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,223 in Lisbon to $4,499 in Brooklyn, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Brooklyn, NY 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 Brooklyn, NY and Lisbon?
If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Brooklyn, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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