Cost of Living Comparison Between Decatur, AL and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Decatur, AL and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,914 per month in Decatur, AL vs $2,268 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $2,679 per month in Decatur, AL vs $3,348 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $3,444 per month in Decatur, AL vs $4,429 in Lisbon, rent included.

Decatur, AL is about 16% cheaper than Lisbon, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both Decatur, AL and Lisbon sit above the global median – Decatur, AL by 39%, Lisbon by 64%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.12 $15.12

$17.55 €15.19

-13.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$41.90 $41.90

$64.5 €55.8

-35.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.82 $11.82

$11.65 €10.08

1.46%

Cappuccino

$4.21 $4.21

$3.26 €2.82

29.14%

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

$1.26 $1.26

$2.49 €2.15

-49.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.67 €1.45

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.47 €3.01

47.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 $6.16

$3.58 €3.10

72.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.55 $0.55

$1.18 €1.03

-53.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.95 €1.69

54.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.56 €1.35

26.28%

Eggs

$2.47 $2.47

$4.01 €3.47

-38.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 $8.13

$13.27 €11.49

-38.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$8.42 €7.29

-33.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.36 $12.36

$18.23 €15.78

-32.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.32 €2.01

26.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.73 €1.50

2.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.93 €1.67

37.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.64 €2.28

-25.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.90 €1.64

-25.26%

Onion (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.11 €1.83

-19.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.44 €1.25

78.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$0.80 €0.69

186.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.62 $8.62

$7.01 €6.07

22.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.64 $13.64

$5.92 €5.13

130.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.36 €1.18

30.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.15 €1.86

-22.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.06

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €40.02

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$4.19 €3.63

-51.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.10 €0.95

28.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.35 $20.35

$17.26 €14.94

17.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.25 €1.95

-56.00%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$34.5K €29.8K

7.82%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$41.6K €36.0K

-36.53%

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

$168 $168

$171 €148

-1.60%

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

$85.1 $85.1

$19.01 €16.45

347.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.6 $74.6

$34.28 €29.68

117.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.98

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.89

Cinema Ticket

$14.81 $14.81

$10.10 €8.74

46.63%

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

$1,737 $1,737

$699 €605

148.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$17.8K €15.4K

55.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.54 $44.54

$105 €90.6

-57.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.36 $31.36

$47.97 €41.53

-34.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.7 $78.7

$102 €88.2

-22.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$128 €111

8.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$989 $989

$1,661 €1,438

-40.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$874 $874

$1,228 €1,063

-28.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 $1,677

$2,915 €2,524

-42.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,372 $1,372

$2,023 €1,752

-32.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,657 $1,657

$8,129 €7,037

-79.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,645 $1,645

$4,635 €4,013

-64.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,402

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.06

3.78

60.32%

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

Last update for Decatur, AL: September 8, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $989 in Decatur, AL versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Decatur, AL versus $64.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $274 vs $281 – making Decatur, AL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Decatur, AL vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 18% more than Decatur, AL, with the gap driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,871 per month in Decatur, AL and $3,402 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Decatur, AL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $42.00 in Decatur, AL and $64.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 3% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Decatur, AL, where all-in costs run around $1,914, than in Lisbon at $2,268. In Decatur, AL it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Decatur, AL costs $1,914 versus $2,268 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Decatur, AL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.