Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Burlington, NC and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $2,645 in Burlington, NC, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, NC
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Burlington, NC Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Burlington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,645

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,645 per month in Burlington, NC vs $2,206 in Lisbon, rent included.

Burlington, NC $2,645
Lisbon $2,206

A couple spends around $3,850 per month in Burlington, NC vs $3,276 in Lisbon, rent included.

Burlington, NC $3,850
Lisbon $3,276

A family of three spends $5,054 per month in Burlington, NC vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

Burlington, NC $5,054
Lisbon $4,346

Burlington, NC costs about 20% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Burlington, NC and Lisbon sit above the global median – Burlington, NC by 96%, Lisbon by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.38 $19.38

$16.86 €15.02

14.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.3 $74.3

$61.0 €54.4

21.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.92 $10.92

$10.98 €9.78

-0.55%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$3.05 €2.72

65.25%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$2.28 €2.03

14.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.68 €1.50

16.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.44 €3.06

79.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$3.91 €3.48

73.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.15 €1.02

-9.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$1.89 €1.68

86.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$1.50 €1.34

182.00%

Eggs

$4.22 $4.22

$4.12 €3.67

2.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.02 $12.02

$13.01 €11.59

-7.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.26 $11.26

$8.04 €7.17

40.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.19 $15.19

$17.89 €15.94

-15.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.27 €2.02

109.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.74 €1.55

-10.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$1.82 €1.62

126.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.69 €2.39

71.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.77 €1.57

62.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.94 €1.73

48.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.46 €1.30

44.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$0.76 €0.68

178.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.40 $9.40

$6.66 €5.93

41.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 $13.88

$5.64 €5.02

146.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.29 €1.15

38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.14 €1.91

57.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.30 €2.05

-10.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.9 $59.9

$44.02 €39.21

36.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.98 €3.55

-13.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.64 €0.57

148.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.13 $29.13

$18.93 €16.86

53.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$2.28 €2.03

-63.60%

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

$29.1K $29.1K

$33.4K €29.7K

-12.83%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$38.5K €34.3K

-33.18%

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

$188 $188

$158 €141

18.65%

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

$53.1 $53.1

$17.54 €15.62

202.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.2 $68.2

$31.18 €27.78

118.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.74 $42.74

$44.64 €39.77

-4.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.91

Cinema Ticket

$13.63 $13.63

$9.58 €8.53

42.28%

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

$1,310 $1,310

$674 €600

94.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$18.7K €16.7K

23.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 $50.4

$102 €91.0

-50.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.77 $40.77

$45.90 €40.89

-11.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 $85.8

$102 €91.0

-16.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$122 €109

-6.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 $1,611

$1,641 €1,461

-1.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 $1,363

$1,187 €1,058

14.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,655 $2,655

$2,825 €2,516

-5.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,223 $2,223

$2,018 €1,798

10.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,746 $2,746

$7,836 €6,980

-64.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,444 $2,444

$4,701 €4,188

-48.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,503

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

3.82

70.42%

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

Last update for Burlington, NC: November 3, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Burlington, NC

$1.4K 51.5%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 12.9% $176

Groceries & Markets

Burlington, NC

$382 14.4%

Lisbon

$275 12.5% 28.1% $107

Eating Out

Burlington, NC

$311 11.8%

Lisbon

$245 11.1% 21.1% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Burlington, NC

$309 11.7%

Lisbon

$207 9.4% 33% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Burlington, NC

$131 5%

Lisbon

$168 7.6% 28% $37

Getting Around

Burlington, NC

$80 3%

Lisbon

$60 2.7% 24% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Burlington, NC

$70 2.7%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 8.9% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,611 in Burlington, NC versus $1,641 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74 in Burlington, NC versus $61 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $382 vs $275 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Burlington, NC

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

11:15 11:15 AM

16:15 4:15 PM

5 h ahead of Burlington, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,743

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Burlington, NC Lisbon 6,060 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Burlington, NC
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

Burlington, NC vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,645 in Burlington, NC, $2,206 in Lisbon – Lisbon comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,968 per month in Burlington, NC and $3,309 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 $1,611 in Burlington, NC and $1,641 in Lisbon. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $1,310 per month in Burlington, NC and $674 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,645 in Burlington, NC and $2,206 in Lisbon, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,206 in Lisbon to $2,645 in Burlington, NC. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.