Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chattanooga, TN and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,611 in Chattanooga, TN, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Chattanooga, TN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,611
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,611 per month in Chattanooga, TN vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Chattanooga, TN $2,611
  • Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $3,850 per month in Chattanooga, TN vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Chattanooga, TN $3,850
  • Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $5,089 per month in Chattanooga, TN vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Chattanooga, TN $5,089
  • Lisbon $4,346

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

Both Chattanooga, TN and Lisbon sit above the global median – Chattanooga, TN by 93%, Lisbon by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chattanooga, TN
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.63 $19.63
$17.04 €15.15
15.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$99.2 $99.2
$62.3 €55.4
59.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.15 $11.15
$11.02 €9.80
1.18%
Cappuccino
$5.35 $5.35
$3.12 €2.78
71.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 $2.34
$2.27 €2.02
3.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.08 $2.08
$1.74 €1.55
19.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.14 $6.14
$3.42 €3.04
79.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.49 $7.49
$3.74 €3.33
100.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chattanooga, TN
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.17 €1.04
-4.27%
White Bread (500g)
$3.60 $3.60
$1.86 €1.66
93.55%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.98 $3.98
$1.54 €1.37
158.44%
Eggs
$4.19 $4.19
$4.06 €3.61
3.20%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.24 $14.24
$12.91 €11.49
10.30%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.91 $14.91
$7.90 €7.03
88.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.45 $13.45
$17.64 €15.69
-23.75%
Apples (1kg)
$6.41 $6.41
$2.26 €2.01
183.63%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.75 €1.55
-5.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.24 $4.24
$1.89 €1.68
124.34%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.26 $4.26
$2.56 €2.27
66.41%
Potato (1kg)
$2.76 $2.76
$1.85 €1.64
49.19%
Onion (1kg)
$3.60 $3.60
$1.97 €1.75
82.74%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.69 $2.69
$1.45 €1.29
85.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.72 $2.72
$0.77 €0.69
253.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.27 $9.27
$6.71 €5.97
38.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$17.64 $17.64
$5.67 €5.04
211.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 $2.01
$1.37 €1.22
46.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.25 $3.25
$2.11 €1.88
54.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Chattanooga, TN
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.94 $1.94
$2.32 €2.07
-16.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$49.71 $49.71
$44.43 €39.52
11.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.14 $5.14
$3.95 €3.51
30.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.92 $1.92
$1.05 €0.93
82.86%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.07 $30.07
$17.15 €15.26
75.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.96 $0.96
$2.19 €1.95
-56.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K $27.6K
$33.8K €30.0K
-18.36%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K $26.6K
$38.3K €34.0K
-30.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chattanooga, TN
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$159 $159
$164 €146
-3.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$82.9 $82.9
$18.48 €16.43
348.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.2 $75.2
$32.96 €29.32
128.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chattanooga, TN
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.22 $39.22
$45.87 €40.80
-14.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$3.95 $3.95
$18.68 €16.61
-78.85%
Cinema Ticket
$15.02 $15.02
$9.75 €8.67
54.05%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chattanooga, TN
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,086 $1,086
$684 €608
58.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$24.7K $24.7K
$17.6K €15.7K
39.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chattanooga, TN
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.44 $41.44
$104 €92.3
-60.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.80 $38.80
$46.20 €41.09
-16.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.9 $99.9
$99.7 €88.7
0.20%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$118 $118
$125 €111
-5.00%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chattanooga, TN
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,707 $1,707
$1,589 €1,414
7.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$1,169 €1,040
8.78%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,190 $3,190
$2,851 €2,536
11.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,984 $1,984
$1,993 €1,773
-0.46%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,249 $2,249
$7,793 €6,932
-71.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,273 $2,273
$4,418 €3,930
-48.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chattanooga, TN
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,984 $3,984
$1,600 €1,423
148.99%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.63
3.85
72.21%

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

Last update for Chattanooga, TN: 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
Chattanooga, TN
$1.3K
Lisbon
$1.2K 8.1% $103
Groceries & Markets
Chattanooga, TN
$429
Lisbon
$273 36.3% $155
Eating Out
Chattanooga, TN
$318
Lisbon
$247 22.2% $71
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chattanooga, TN
$317
Lisbon
$215 32.1% $102
Clothing & Footwear
Chattanooga, TN
$134
Lisbon
$168 25.4% $34
Getting Around
Chattanooga, TN
$72
Lisbon
$63 12.9% $9.3
Sport & Entertainment
Chattanooga, TN
$69
Lisbon
$65 5.6% $3.9

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,707 in Chattanooga, TN 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 149% higher in Chattanooga, TN, 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 $99.0 in Chattanooga, TN versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $429 vs $273 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Chattanooga, TN
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
06:50 6:50 AM
11:50 11:50 AM
5 h ahead of Chattanooga, TN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
176,588
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chattanooga, TN Lisbon 6,580 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Chattanooga, TN
  • 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
Chattanooga, TN vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Chattanooga, TN or Lisbon?
Chattanooga, TN costs about 19% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Chattanooga, TN and in Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,917 per month in Chattanooga, TN and $3,302 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Chattanooga, TN or Lisbon?
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.
How much does it cost to live in Chattanooga, TN compared to Lisbon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,611 in Chattanooga, TN and $2,202 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 19%.
How expensive is transport in Chattanooga, TN compared to Lisbon?
Public transport costs about 12% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Chattanooga, TN or in Lisbon?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,202, than in Chattanooga, TN at $2,611. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chattanooga, TN it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Chattanooga, TN or Lisbon?
For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lisbon costs $2,202 versus $2,611 in Chattanooga, TN. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.
How safe is Chattanooga, TN compared to Lisbon?
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.
Should I move to Chattanooga, TN or to Lisbon?
If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chattanooga, TN makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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