Cost of Living Comparison Between Chapel Hill, NC and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Chapel Hill, NC and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,588 in Chapel Hill, NC versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,111 in Chapel Hill, NC versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,634 in Chapel Hill, NC versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Chapel Hill, NC is roughly 13% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chapel Hill, NC 89% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.81 $17.81

$17.59 €15.31

1.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.1 $89.1

$62.9 €54.7

41.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$11.58 €10.08

-13.04%

Cappuccino

$4.66 $4.66

$3.10 €2.70

50.32%

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

$1.96 $1.96

$2.49 €2.17

-21.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.74 €1.52

17.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$3.48 €3.03

67.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$3.44 €3.00

108.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.15 €1.00

-23.48%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.91 €1.66

114.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$1.50 €1.31

260.00%

Eggs

$4.58 $4.58

$3.98 €3.47

15.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.72 $15.72

$13.29 €11.57

18.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 $10.64

$8.01 €6.97

32.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.84 $16.84

$18.04 €15.70

-6.65%

Apples (1kg)

$5.84 $5.84

$2.35 €2.05

148.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.75 €1.52

-13.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$1.85 €1.61

121.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$2.55 €2.22

83.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.84 €1.60

38.59%

Onion (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$2.10 €1.83

51.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.49 €1.29

42.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.82 €0.71

151.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.17 $8.17

$7.10 €6.18

15.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.21 $14.21

$5.91 €5.14

140.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.31 €1.14

28.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.13 €1.85

-3.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.57

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 $1.98

$4.08 €3.55

-51.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.60 $0.60

$1.14 €0.99

-47.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.88

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.31 €2.01

-62.34%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$34.1K €29.7K

3.53%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$41.4K €36.0K

-41.01%

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

$218 $218

$169 €147

29.45%

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

$55.4 $55.4

$19.33 €16.82

186.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$33.51 €29.17

114.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.9 $77.9

$48.84 €42.50

59.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.91

Cinema Ticket

$13.53 $13.53

$9.57 €8.33

41.38%

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

$1,426 $1,426

$696 €606

104.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.23 $44.23

$105 €91.6

-57.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.62 $34.62

$47.75 €41.56

-27.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$101 €87.5

2.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$124 €108

12.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,760 $1,760

$1,662 €1,446

5.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 $1,299

$1,246 €1,085

4.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,830 $2,830

$2,965 €2,580

-4.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,886 $2,886

$2,049 €1,783

40.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,694 $2,694

$7,834 €6,818

-65.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,690 $2,690

$4,464 €3,885

-39.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,437 $5,437

$1,632 €1,420

233.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.16

3.78

62.96%

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

Last update for Chapel Hill, NC: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,760 in Chapel Hill, NC and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chapel Hill, NC pays 233% 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: $89.0 in Chapel Hill, NC vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $277 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

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

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Chapel Hill, NC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 233% higher in Chapel Hill, NC, 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: $1,760 in Chapel Hill, NC versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Chapel Hill, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,588 per month in Chapel Hill, NC versus $2,296 in Lisbon – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,296 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Chapel Hill, 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 13% less than in Chapel Hill, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.