Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brownsville, TX and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Brownsville, TX: $1,752 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Brownsville, TX, United States
Lisbon, Portugal
Brownsville, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$1,752
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,752 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Brownsville, TX $1,752
  • Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $2,612 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Brownsville, TX $2,612
  • Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $3,472 per month in Brownsville, TX vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Brownsville, TX $3,472
  • Lisbon $4,341

Brownsville, TX is about 21% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Brownsville, TX and Lisbon sit above the global median – Brownsville, TX by 29%, Lisbon by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Brownsville, TX
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$10.13 $10.13
$16.65 €14.92
-39.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$59.9 $59.9
$61.7 €55.3
-3.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.95 $7.95
$11.36 €10.18
-30.02%
Cappuccino
$4.03 $4.03
$2.97 €2.66
35.69%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.03 $2.03
$2.29 €2.05
-11.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.01 $2.01
$1.74 €1.56
15.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.05 $5.05
$3.40 €3.05
48.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.10 $5.10
$3.31 €2.97
54.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Brownsville, TX
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.85 $0.85
$1.16 €1.04
-26.72%
White Bread (500g)
$2.24 $2.24
$1.91 €1.71
17.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.51 €1.36
47.02%
Eggs
$2.83 $2.83
$4.02 €3.60
-29.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.32 $9.32
$12.94 €11.59
-27.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.84 $12.84
$7.77 €6.97
65.25%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.11 $9.11
$17.76 €15.92
-48.70%
Apples (1kg)
$2.61 $2.61
$2.30 €2.06
13.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 $2.29
$1.73 €1.55
32.37%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.67 $1.67
$1.86 €1.66
-10.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.98 $1.98
$2.59 €2.32
-23.55%
Potato (1kg)
$2.90 $2.90
$1.82 €1.63
59.34%
Onion (1kg)
$1.07 $1.07
$1.97 €1.76
-45.69%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.47 €1.32
-31.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.02 $1.02
$0.72 €0.65
41.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.57 $9.57
$6.58 €5.90
45.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$7.35 $7.35
$5.61 €5.02
31.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.05 $2.05
$1.36 €1.22
50.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 $2.23
$2.14 €1.91
4.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Brownsville, TX
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.33 €2.09
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.68 €40.04
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.15 $4.15
$3.85 €3.45
7.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.77 $0.77
$1.07 €0.96
-28.04%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$16.46 €14.75
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 $0.86
$2.20 €1.97
-60.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.9K $28.9K
$34.2K €30.6K
-15.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.3K $24.3K
$38.7K €34.7K
-37.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brownsville, TX
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$162 $162
$161 €144
0.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$37.04 $37.04
$18.41 €16.50
101.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.4 $67.4
$32.74 €29.34
105.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Brownsville, TX
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$49.89 $49.89
$44.55 €39.92
11.99%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.10 €17.11
-
Cinema Ticket
$11.78 $11.78
$9.60 €8.60
22.71%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Brownsville, TX
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$595 $595
$668 €598
-10.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$17.6K €15.8K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Brownsville, TX
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$78.7 $78.7
$102 €91.4
-22.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.47 $44.47
$44.46 €39.85
0.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.8 $75.8
$98.5 €88.3
-23.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$96.5 $96.5
$124 €111
-21.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Brownsville, TX
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$944 $944
$1,608 €1,441
-41.28%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$796 $796
$1,190 €1,066
-33.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,656 $1,656
$2,812 €2,520
-41.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,384 $1,384
$2,013 €1,804
-31.27%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,860 $1,860
$7,839 €7,025
-76.27%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,856 $1,856
$4,576 €4,100
-59.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Brownsville, TX
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,159 $3,159
$1,575 €1,411
100.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.48
3.85
68.31%

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

Last update for Brownsville, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Brownsville, TX
$796
Lisbon
$1.2K 49.5% $394
Groceries & Markets
Brownsville, TX
$271
Lisbon
$272 0.7% $1.8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Brownsville, TX
$266
Lisbon
$212 20.2% $54
Eating Out
Brownsville, TX
$205
Lisbon
$243 18.4% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Brownsville, TX
$133
Lisbon
$166 24.8% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Brownsville, TX
$73
Lisbon
$64 13.2% $9.7
Getting Around
Brownsville, TX
$8 *
Lisbon
$63 691% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $944 in Brownsville, TX 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 Brownsville, TX are about 2 times higher, 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 $60 in Brownsville, TX versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $271 vs $272 – making Brownsville, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Brownsville, TX
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
06:28 6:28 AM
12:28 12:28 PM
6 h ahead of Brownsville, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
186,738
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 November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Brownsville, TX Lisbon 8,110 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Brownsville, TX
  • 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
Brownsville, TX vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Brownsville, TX and in Lisbon compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,752 in Brownsville, TX, $2,210 in Lisbon – Brownsville, TX comes out roughly 21% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Brownsville, TX compared to Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,628 per month in Brownsville, TX and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Brownsville, TX and Lisbon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Brownsville, TX, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $944 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Brownsville, TX and Lisbon?
Kindergarten costs $595 per month in Brownsville, TX and $668 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more expensive overall: Brownsville, TX or Lisbon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,752 in Brownsville, TX and $2,210 in Lisbon. That makes Brownsville, TX about 21% cheaper.
How far does $3,000 go in Brownsville, TX compared to Lisbon?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,752 in Brownsville, TX and $2,210 in Lisbon, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Where should families live: Brownsville, TX or Lisbon?
Families tend to lean toward Brownsville, TX – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Brownsville, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?