Cost of Living Comparison Between Cary, NC and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Cary, NC and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,940 in Cary, NC versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,386 in Cary, NC versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,833 in Cary, NC versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Cary, NC is roughly 33% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cary, NC 119% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.88 $17.88

$15.91 €13.69

12.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.0 $97.0

$64.8 €55.7

49.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.43 $10.43

$10.51 €9.04

-0.76%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$2.87 €2.47

72.82%

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

$2.00 $2.00

$2.24 €1.93

-10.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.50 €1.29

24.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.49 €3.00

45.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 $6.69

$3.88 €3.34

72.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.14 €0.98

-2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$5.47 $5.47

$1.75 €1.51

212.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.28 $6.28

$1.76 €1.51

256.82%

Eggs

$4.75 $4.75

$3.22 €2.77

47.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$20.23 $20.23

$13.49 €11.61

49.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.51 $12.51

$7.91 €6.81

58.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 $17.92

$15.87 €13.65

12.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.31 €1.99

138.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.70 €1.46

4.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.01 €1.73

106.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.67 $6.67

$2.46 €2.12

171.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.84 €1.59

35.87%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.00 €1.72

72.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.93 €1.66

52.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$0.79 €0.68

150.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.36 $9.36

$6.61 €5.68

41.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 $9.83

$5.72 €4.92

71.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.37 €1.17

75.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.86 $4.86

$2.97 €2.56

63.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.37 €2.04

-23.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 $59.5

$45.56 €39.19

30.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$4.29 €3.69

-17.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.82 €0.70

93.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.81 $28.81

$18.30 €15.74

57.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$2.06 €1.78

-61.17%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$34.3K €29.5K

-14.56%

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

$29.2K $29.2K

$39.3K €33.8K

-25.79%

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

$169 $169

$148 €127

14.32%

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

$50.3 $50.3

$20.52 €17.65

145.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 $62.5

$39.61 €34.08

57.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$75.3 $75.3

$47.85 €41.16

57.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$13.58 $13.58

$9.18 €7.90

47.93%

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

$1,491 $1,491

$614 €528

142.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$16.0K €13.8K

46.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.21 $48.21

$105 €90.0

-53.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.94 $31.94

$42.06 €36.18

-24.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$94.0 €80.8

36.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$120 €103

13.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,765 $1,765

$1,628 €1,400

8.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,581 $1,581

$1,255 €1,080

25.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,668 $2,668

$3,030 €2,607

-11.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,748 $2,748

$2,020 €1,738

36.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,862 $2,862

$7,800 €6,709

-63.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,652 $2,652

$4,273 €3,675

-37.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,996 $5,996

$1,603 €1,379

273.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

3.81

65.62%

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

Last update for Cary, NC: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,765 in Cary, NC and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays 274% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $97.0 in Cary, NC vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $467 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

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

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 33% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Cary, NC pays 274% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,765 in Cary, NC versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,491 in Cary, NC versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Cary, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Lisbon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cary, NC, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Cary, NC and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Cary, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.