Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between California, MD and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,616 in California, MD, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in California, MD
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California, MD Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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California, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,616

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,616 per month in California, MD vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

California, MD $2,616
Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $3,733 per month in California, MD vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

California, MD $3,733
Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $4,849 per month in California, MD vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

California, MD $4,849
Lisbon $4,346

California, MD costs about 19% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both California, MD and Lisbon sit above the global median – California, MD by 93%, Lisbon by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.81 $24.81

$17.04 €15.15

45.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 $75.1

$62.3 €55.4

20.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 $9.93

$11.02 €9.80

-9.89%

Cappuccino

$5.98 $5.98

$3.12 €2.78

91.67%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$2.27 €2.02

20.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.74 €1.55

40.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.42 €3.04

49.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 $7.80

$3.74 €3.33

108.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.17 €1.04

-14.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 $3.83

$1.86 €1.66

105.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.54 €1.37

40.91%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$4.06 €3.61

-2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 $11.81

$12.91 €11.49

-8.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$7.90 €7.03

84.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$17.64 €15.69

-25.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.26 €2.01

93.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.75 €1.55

26.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.89 €1.68

131.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.70 $6.70

$2.56 €2.27

161.72%

Potato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.85 €1.64

136.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.97 €1.75

100.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.45 €1.29

35.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$0.77 €0.69

161.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 $8.89

$6.71 €5.97

32.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 $14.05

$5.67 €5.04

147.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.37 €1.22

22.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 $4.80

$2.11 €1.88

127.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.32 €2.07

-6.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.4 $81.4

$44.43 €39.52

83.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$3.95 €3.51

-22.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.05 €0.93

34.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.46 $22.46

$17.15 €15.26

30.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.19 €1.95

-57.08%

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

$33.5K $33.5K

$33.8K €30.0K

-0.95%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$38.3K €34.0K

-39.70%

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

$98.2 $98.2

$164 €146

-40.04%

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

$41.44 $41.44

$18.48 €16.43

124.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 $62.0

$32.96 €29.32

88.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.40 $39.40

$45.87 €40.80

-14.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.91 $10.91

$18.68 €16.61

-41.60%

Cinema Ticket

$18.19 $18.19

$9.75 €8.67

86.56%

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

$1,875 $1,875

$684 €608

174.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$17.6K €15.7K

80.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 $53.9

$104 €92.3

-48.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.77 $47.77

$46.20 €41.09

3.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$99.7 €88.7

-14.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$125 €111

-13.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 $1,693

$1,589 €1,414

6.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 $1,338

$1,169 €1,040

14.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 $1,793

$2,851 €2,536

-37.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 $1,887

$1,993 €1,773

-5.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,716 $6,716

$7,793 €6,932

-13.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,236 $6,236

$4,418 €3,930

41.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,062 $7,062

$1,600 €1,423

341.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

3.85

66.23%

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

Last update for California, MD: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

California, MD

$1.3K 51.2%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 12.6% $169

Groceries & Markets

California, MD

$406 15.5%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 32.7% $133

Eating Out

California, MD

$362 13.8%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 31.6% $114

Monthly Utilities & Internet

California, MD

$202 7.7%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 6.7% $14

Clothing & Footwear

California, MD

$133 5.1%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 26.9% $36

Getting Around

California, MD

$100 3.8%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 37.2% $37

Sport & Entertainment

California, MD

$76 2.9%

Lisbon

$65 3% 13.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,693 in California, MD 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 341% higher in California, MD, 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 $75.0 in California, MD versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $406 vs $273 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 California, MD

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

22:34 10:34 PM

03:34 3:34 AM

5 h ahead of California, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,000

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

California, MD Lisbon 5,720 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

California, MD
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

California, MD vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – California, MD is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,925 per month in California, MD and $3,302 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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.

Groceries cost about 49% more in California, MD, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $75.0 in California, MD and $62.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,202, than in California, MD at $2,616. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in California, MD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, California, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.