Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Clifton, NJ and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,771 in Clifton, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Clifton, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$2,771
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,771 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Clifton, NJ $2,771
  • Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $4,035 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Clifton, NJ $4,035
  • Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $5,299 per month in Clifton, NJ vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Clifton, NJ $5,299
  • Lisbon $4,346

Clifton, NJ costs about 26% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Clifton, NJ and Lisbon sit above the global median – Clifton, NJ by 105%, Lisbon by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Clifton, NJ
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.14 $22.14
$17.04 €15.15
29.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.7 $78.7
$62.3 €55.4
26.39%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.83 $12.83
$11.02 €9.80
16.42%
Cappuccino
$6.41 $6.41
$3.12 €2.78
105.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 $2.44
$2.27 €2.02
7.49%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.79 $1.79
$1.74 €1.55
2.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.91 $7.91
$3.42 €3.04
131.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.05 $7.05
$3.74 €3.33
88.50%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Clifton, NJ
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.33 $1.33
$1.17 €1.04
13.68%
White Bread (500g)
$4.61 $4.61
$1.86 €1.66
147.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.09 $6.09
$1.54 €1.37
295.45%
Eggs
$5.80 $5.80
$4.06 €3.61
42.86%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.90 $13.90
$12.91 €11.49
7.67%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.09 $10.09
$7.90 €7.03
27.72%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.68 $18.68
$17.64 €15.69
5.90%
Apples (1kg)
$5.92 $5.92
$2.26 €2.01
161.95%
Banana (1kg)
$2.34 $2.34
$1.75 €1.55
33.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$6.21 $6.21
$1.89 €1.68
228.57%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.26 $5.26
$2.56 €2.27
105.47%
Potato (1kg)
$3.52 $3.52
$1.85 €1.64
90.27%
Onion (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$1.97 €1.75
120.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.13 $3.13
$1.45 €1.29
115.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.63 $2.63
$0.77 €0.69
241.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$15.06 $15.06
$6.71 €5.97
124.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.21 $15.21
$5.67 €5.04
168.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 $1.79
$1.37 €1.22
30.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.63 $3.63
$2.11 €1.88
72.04%
🚌 Getting Around
Clifton, NJ
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.30 $4.30
$2.32 €2.07
85.34%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.43 €39.52
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.95 $2.95
$3.95 €3.51
-25.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.19 $2.19
$1.05 €0.93
108.57%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$42.36 $42.36
$17.15 €15.26
147.00%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$2.19 €1.95
-48.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.1K $33.1K
$33.8K €30.0K
-2.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K $25.6K
$38.3K €34.0K
-33.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Clifton, NJ
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$164 €146
33.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.7 $50.7
$18.48 €16.43
174.19%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$66.5 $66.5
$32.96 €29.32
101.67%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Clifton, NJ
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$29.05 $29.05
$45.87 €40.80
-36.67%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.68 €16.61
-
Cinema Ticket
$20.63 $20.63
$9.75 €8.67
111.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Clifton, NJ
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,967 $1,967
$684 €608
187.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.3K $16.3K
$17.6K €15.7K
-7.76%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Clifton, NJ
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$31.73 $31.73
$104 €92.3
-69.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$20.32 $20.32
$46.20 €41.09
-56.02%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$109 $109
$99.7 €88.7
9.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$138 $138
$125 €111
10.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Clifton, NJ
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,348 $1,348
$1,589 €1,414
-15.19%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,376 $1,376
$1,169 €1,040
17.70%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,860 $2,860
$2,851 €2,536
0.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,215 $2,215
$1,993 €1,773
11.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$8,457 $8,457
$7,793 €6,932
8.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,418 €3,930
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Clifton, NJ
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,324 $4,324
$1,600 €1,423
170.29%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.8
3.85
76.62%

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

Last update for Clifton, NJ: 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
Clifton, NJ
$1.4K
Lisbon
$1.2K 15% $207
Groceries & Markets
Clifton, NJ
$460
Lisbon
$273 40.6% $187
Eating Out
Clifton, NJ
$363
Lisbon
$247 31.8% $116
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Clifton, NJ
$336
Lisbon
$215 36% $121
Clothing & Footwear
Clifton, NJ
$135
Lisbon
$168 25.2% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Clifton, NJ
$70
Lisbon
$65 7% $4.9
Getting Around
Clifton, NJ
$31 *
Lisbon
$63 102% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,348 in Clifton, NJ 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 170% higher in Clifton, NJ, 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 $79.0 in Clifton, NJ versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $460 vs $273 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Clifton, NJ
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
19:48 7:48 PM
00:48 12:48 AM
5 h ahead of Clifton, NJ
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,606
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 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Clifton, NJ Lisbon 5,430 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Clifton, NJ
  • 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
Clifton, NJ vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Clifton, NJ and in Lisbon compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,771 in Clifton, NJ, $2,202 in Lisbon – roughly 26% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Clifton, NJ compared to Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,157 per month in Clifton, NJ and $3,302 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Clifton, NJ and 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.
Which city is more expensive overall: Clifton, NJ or Lisbon?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,771 in Clifton, NJ and $2,202 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 26%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Clifton, NJ and Lisbon?
Kindergarten costs $1,967 per month in Clifton, NJ and $684 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,202, than in Clifton, NJ at $2,771. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Clifton, NJ it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Clifton, NJ and Lisbon?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,202 in Lisbon to $2,771 in Clifton, NJ. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Clifton, NJ or Lisbon safer for residents?
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.
How do I decide between Clifton, NJ and Lisbon?
If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Clifton, NJ makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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