Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cleveland, OH and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,203 a month against $2,437 in Cleveland, OH, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. The total is higher in Cleveland, OH despite lower rent and utilities.

Cleveland, OH
🇺🇸 United States
$2,437
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,203
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,437 per month in Cleveland, OH vs $2,203 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Cleveland, OH $2,437
  • Lisbon $2,203

A couple spends around $3,635 per month in Cleveland, OH vs $3,237 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Cleveland, OH $3,635
  • Lisbon $3,237

A family of three spends $4,834 per month in Cleveland, OH vs $4,272 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Cleveland, OH $4,834
  • Lisbon $4,272

Cleveland, OH costs about 11% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cleveland, OH and Lisbon sit above the global median – Cleveland, OH by 82%, Lisbon by 64%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cleveland, OH
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.22 $18.22
$17.01 €15.18
7.11%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$63.2 $63.2
$62.7 €56.0
0.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.96 $10.96
$11.42 €10.19
-4.03%
Cappuccino
$5.62 $5.62
$3.09 €2.76
81.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 $2.61
$2.37 €2.11
10.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.05 $2.05
$1.66 €1.48
23.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.86 $5.86
$3.46 €3.09
69.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.81 $7.81
$3.29 €2.93
137.39%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cleveland, OH
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.87 $0.87
$1.17 €1.04
-25.64%
White Bread (500g)
$3.24 $3.24
$1.87 €1.66
73.26%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.50 $4.50
$1.52 €1.36
196.05%
Eggs
$4.46 $4.46
$3.88 €3.46
14.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.31 $13.31
$12.87 €11.49
3.42%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.39 $12.39
$7.94 €7.08
56.05%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$19.91 $19.91
$17.63 €15.73
12.93%
Apples (1kg)
$5.20 $5.20
$2.26 €2.01
130.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 $1.62
$1.76 €1.57
-7.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.98 $3.98
$1.88 €1.68
111.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.86 $3.86
$2.47 €2.20
56.28%
Potato (1kg)
$2.89 $2.89
$1.86 €1.66
55.38%
Onion (1kg)
$3.28 $3.28
$2.07 €1.85
58.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.18 $2.18
$1.39 €1.24
56.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.07 $2.07
$0.81 €0.73
155.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.90 $9.90
$6.89 €6.15
43.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.21 $15.21
$5.53 €4.93
175.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.54 $2.54
$1.33 €1.19
90.98%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.55 $3.55
$2.17 €1.93
63.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Cleveland, OH
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.47 $2.47
$2.24 €2.00
10.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$93.6 $93.6
$45.14 €40.29
107.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.77 $2.77
$4.00 €3.57
-30.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.52 $1.52
$1.07 €0.95
42.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.22 $26.22
$16.53 €14.75
58.62%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$2.26 €2.02
-53.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.5K $36.5K
$33.5K €29.9K
8.93%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$40.5K €36.1K
-36.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cleveland, OH
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$217 $217
$164 €146
32.53%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$65.6 $65.6
$18.54 €16.55
253.56%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.5 $74.5
$33.21 €29.64
124.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cleveland, OH
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$37.28 $37.28
$46.01 €41.06
-18.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$1.98 $1.98
$18.80 €16.78
-89.47%
Cinema Ticket
$13.86 $13.86
$9.47 €8.45
46.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cleveland, OH
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,125 $1,125
$690 €615
63.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.4K $18.4K
$16.9K €15.0K
9.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cleveland, OH
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.8 $60.8
$105 €93.4
-41.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.61 $38.61
$45.27 €40.40
-14.71%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.7 $98.7
$99.0 €88.3
-0.29%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$117 $117
$124 €111
-5.28%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cleveland, OH
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,634 $1,634
$1,583 €1,413
3.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,026 $1,026
$1,209 €1,079
-15.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,951 $2,951
$2,833 €2,528
4.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,958 $1,958
$1,964 €1,753
-0.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,644 $1,644
$7,643 €6,821
-78.50%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,580 $1,580
$4,431 €3,954
-64.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cleveland, OH
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,689 $3,689
$1,573 €1,403
134.57%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.59
3.79
73.88%

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

Last update for Cleveland, OH: October 5, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cleveland, OH
$1K
Lisbon
$1.2K 17.9% $184
Groceries & Markets
Cleveland, OH
$409
Lisbon
$272 33.4% $137
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cleveland, OH
$357
Lisbon
$215 39.6% $141
Eating Out
Cleveland, OH
$310
Lisbon
$247 20.1% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Cleveland, OH
$142
Lisbon
$168 18.2% $26
Getting Around
Cleveland, OH
$114
Lisbon
$63 44.3% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Cleveland, OH
$65
Lisbon
$65 0.1% $0

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,634 in Cleveland, OH versus $1,583 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 135% higher in Cleveland, OH, 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 $63.0 in Cleveland, OH versus $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries tell a different story – $409 in Cleveland, OH vs $272 in Lisbon – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Cleveland, OH
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
03:35 3:35 AM
08:35 8:35 AM
5 h ahead of Cleveland, OH
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
367,991
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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cleveland, OH Lisbon 5,990 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cleveland, OH
  • 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
Cleveland, OH vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lisbon cheaper than Cleveland, OH?
Yes – Cleveland, OH is pricier by about 11%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,655 per month in Cleveland, OH and $3,304 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
Is eating out cheaper in Cleveland, OH or in Lisbon?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Cleveland, OH and $63.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Cleveland, OH and in Lisbon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,437 in Cleveland, OH and $2,203 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 11%.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Cleveland, OH or in Lisbon?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,203, than in Cleveland, OH at $2,437. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Cleveland, OH it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Cleveland, OH or Lisbon more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Cleveland, OH or 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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Cleveland, OH makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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