Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carlsbad, NM and Lisbon

For one person, living costs are similar in Carlsbad, NM and in Lisbon: $2,205 and $2,202 a month, rent and utilities included.

106

Cost of Living Index in Carlsbad, NM
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Carlsbad, NM Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Carlsbad, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,205

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,205 per month in Carlsbad, NM vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

Carlsbad, NM $2,205
Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $3,139 per month in Carlsbad, NM vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

Carlsbad, NM $3,139
Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $4,074 per month in Carlsbad, NM vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

Carlsbad, NM $4,074
Lisbon $4,346

Carlsbad, NM and Lisbon have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Carlsbad, NM and Lisbon sit above the global median – Carlsbad, NM by 63%, Lisbon by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.22 $17.22

$17.04 €15.15

1.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.18 $44.18

$62.3 €55.4

-29.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.85 $11.85

$11.02 €9.80

7.53%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$3.12 €2.78

79.49%

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

$1.53 $1.53

$2.27 €2.02

-32.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.74 €1.55

-28.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.89 $4.89

$3.42 €3.04

42.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$3.74 €3.33

91.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.17 €1.04

-34.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.86 €1.66

92.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$1.54 €1.37

140.26%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$4.06 €3.61

15.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.44 $13.44

$12.91 €11.49

4.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.26 $12.26

$7.90 €7.03

55.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.75 $17.75

$17.64 €15.69

0.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.26 €2.01

92.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.75 €1.55

18.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.89 €1.68

78.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.56 €2.27

53.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.85 €1.64

20.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.97 €1.75

22.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.45 €1.29

19.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$0.77 €0.69

138.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.76 $10.76

$6.71 €5.97

60.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$5.67 €5.04

161.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.37 €1.22

77.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.11 €1.88

73.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.41 $2.41

$3.95 €3.51

-38.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.05 €0.93

126.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$2.19 €1.95

-56.16%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$33.8K €30.0K

-17.46%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$38.3K €34.0K

-37.02%

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

$174 $174

$164 €146

6.38%

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

$58.8 $58.8

$18.48 €16.43

218.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.3 $75.3

$32.96 €29.32

128.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.10 $41.10

$45.87 €40.80

-10.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.95 $9.95

$9.75 €8.67

2.05%

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

$682 $682

$684 €608

-0.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.2 $59.2

$104 €92.3

-42.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.94 $31.94

$46.20 €41.09

-30.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.2 $84.2

$99.7 €88.7

-15.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.6 $99.6

$125 €111

-20.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,219 $1,219

$1,589 €1,414

-23.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,018 $1,018

$1,169 €1,040

-12.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,957 $1,957

$2,851 €2,536

-31.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,580 $1,580

$1,993 €1,773

-20.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,020 $2,020

$7,793 €6,932

-74.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,971 $1,971

$4,418 €3,930

-55.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,217 $4,217

$1,600 €1,423

163.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.61

3.85

45.71%

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

Last update for Carlsbad, NM: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carlsbad, NM

$1K 46.2%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 14.8% $151

Groceries & Markets

Carlsbad, NM

$389 17.6%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 29.8% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carlsbad, NM

$308 14%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 30.2% $93

Eating Out

Carlsbad, NM

$290 13.2%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 14.8% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Carlsbad, NM

$124 5.6%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 36.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Carlsbad, NM

$61 2.8%

Lisbon

$65 3% 7.1% $4.4

Getting Around

Carlsbad, NM

$14 * 0.7%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 341% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,219 in Carlsbad, NM 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 164% higher in Carlsbad, NM. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Carlsbad, NM versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Groceries tell a different story – $389 in Carlsbad, NM vs $273 in Lisbon – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Carlsbad, NM

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

00:01 12:01 AM

07:01 7:01 AM

7 h ahead of Carlsbad, NM

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,746

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

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Between locations

Carlsbad, NM Lisbon 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Carlsbad, NM
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

Carlsbad, NM vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,307 per month in Carlsbad, NM 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.

Kindergarten costs $682 per month in Carlsbad, NM and $684 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Carlsbad, NM, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,202, than in Carlsbad, NM at $2,205. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Carlsbad, NM it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,202 in Lisbon to $2,205 in Carlsbad, NM. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Carlsbad, NM makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.