Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chico, CA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,515 in Chico, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. The total is higher in Chico, CA despite lower rent and utilities.

123

Cost of Living Index in Chico, CA
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Chico, CA Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Chico, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,515

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,515 in Chico, CA versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Chico, CA $2,515
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,036 in Chico, CA versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Chico, CA $4,036
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,556 in Chico, CA versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Chico, CA $5,556
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Chico, CA is roughly 13% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chico, CA 86% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.46 $25.46

$16.50 €14.67

54.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 $50.1

$61.3 €54.5

-18.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$11.27 €10.03

6.92%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$3.06 €2.72

88.56%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.26 €2.01

16.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.73 €1.54

31.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 $7.34

$3.39 €3.02

116.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$3.40 €3.02

141.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.12 €1.00

0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.86 €1.65

60.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$1.53 €1.36

129.41%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$3.96 €3.53

22.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$12.76 €11.35

-12.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.12 $12.12

$7.90 €7.02

53.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.12 $23.12

$16.97 €15.09

36.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$2.27 €2.02

139.21%

Banana (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.75 €1.55

34.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.85 €1.64

105.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$2.57 €2.28

119.46%

Potato (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$1.86 €1.65

169.35%

Onion (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$2.02 €1.80

53.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.44 €1.28

70.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.82 €0.73

212.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.01 $8.01

$6.56 €5.83

22.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.92 $14.92

$5.62 €5.00

165.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.28 €1.14

36.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.07 €1.84

74.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.35 €2.09

25.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.74 $34.74

$44.18 €39.30

-21.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.99 €3.55

-19.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.09 €0.97

121.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.65 $40.65

$16.64 €14.81

144.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$2.28 €2.03

-37.72%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$33.7K €30.0K

7.80%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$39.3K €35.0K

-37.06%

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

$185 $185

$167 €149

10.32%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$18.80 €16.72

162.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$33.09 €29.43

105.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.0 $77.0

$46.01 €40.93

67.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$13.12 $13.12

$9.84 €8.75

33.33%

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

$1,837 $1,837

$677 €602

171.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.1K $37.1K

$16.9K €15.1K

119.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$101 €90.1

-49.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.08 $31.08

$45.76 €40.70

-32.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.3 $70.3

$100.0 €88.9

-29.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 $98.8

$123 €109

-19.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,508 $1,508

$1,614 €1,436

-6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 $1,123

$1,197 €1,065

-6.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,933 $2,933

$2,862 €2,545

2.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,590 $2,590

$1,990 €1,770

30.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,210 $3,210

$7,577 €6,740

-57.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,919 $2,919

$4,307 €3,831

-32.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,832 $3,832

$1,588 €1,412

141.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.28

3.85

63.12%

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

Last update for Chico, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chico, CA

$1.1K 44.6%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 6.6% $74

Groceries & Markets

Chico, CA

$430 17.1%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 37.4% $161

Eating Out

Chico, CA

$382 15.2%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 36.6% $140

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chico, CA

$302 12%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 27.4% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Chico, CA

$113 4.5%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 47.1% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Chico, CA

$103 4.1%

Lisbon

$66 3% 36.4% $38

Getting Around

Chico, CA

$62 2.5%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 2% $1.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,508 in Chico, CA and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chico, CA pays 141% 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: $50.0 in Chico, CA vs $61.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $430 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chico, CA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

09:41 9:41 AM

8 h ahead of Chico, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,316

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

Chico, CA Lisbon 8,930 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chico, CA
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

Chico, CA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 141% higher in Chico, CA, 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: $1,508 in Chico, CA versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $50.0 in Chico, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,515 per month in Chico, CA versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,515 in Chico, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Chico, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Chico, CA 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 Chico, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.