Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Downey, CA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $3,035 in Downey, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

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

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Downey, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,035

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,035 in Downey, CA versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Downey, CA $3,035
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,713 in Downey, CA versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Downey, CA $4,713
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,391 in Downey, CA versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Downey, CA $6,391
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Downey, CA is roughly 37% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Downey, CA 125% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.83 $24.83

$16.50 €14.67

50.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.2 $80.2

$61.3 €54.5

30.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.21 $15.21

$11.27 €10.03

34.96%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$3.06 €2.72

84.97%

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

$3.16 $3.16

$2.26 €2.01

39.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.73 €1.54

35.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 $7.38

$3.39 €3.02

117.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.36 $9.36

$3.40 €3.02

175.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.12 €1.00

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 $4.10

$1.86 €1.65

120.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$1.53 €1.36

207.19%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$3.96 €3.53

17.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.76 €11.35

1.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.40 $13.40

$7.90 €7.02

69.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 $15.25

$16.97 €15.09

-10.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.27 €2.02

107.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.75 €1.55

-5.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.85 €1.64

123.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$2.57 €2.28

113.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$1.86 €1.65

99.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.02 €1.80

52.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.44 €1.28

40.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.82 €0.73

171.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$6.56 €5.83

78.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 $14.98

$5.62 €5.00

166.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.28 €1.14

57.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 $4.20

$2.07 €1.84

102.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 $6.34

$3.99 €3.55

58.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.28 €2.03

-35.53%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

$33.7K €30.0K

11.96%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$39.3K €35.0K

-34.54%

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

$170 $170

$167 €149

1.67%

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

$66.6 $66.6

$18.80 €16.72

254.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.3 $72.3

$33.09 €29.43

118.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.92 $34.92

$46.01 €40.93

-24.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$9.84 €8.75

53.56%

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

$1,188 $1,188

$677 €602

75.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.6 $58.6

$101 €90.1

-42.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.89 $45.89

$45.76 €40.70

0.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$100.0 €88.9

-7.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$123 €109

17.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,946 $1,946

$1,614 €1,436

20.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 $1,693

$1,197 €1,065

41.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,725 $3,725

$2,862 €2,545

30.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,383 $3,383

$1,990 €1,770

69.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,755 $5,755

$7,577 €6,740

-24.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,766 $5,766

$4,307 €3,831

33.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,178 $4,178

$1,588 €1,412

163.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

3.85

65.97%

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

Last update for Downey, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Downey, CA

$1.7K 55.8%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 29.3% $496

Groceries & Markets

Downey, CA

$419 13.8%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 35.7% $150

Eating Out

Downey, CA

$390 12.8%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 37.9% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Downey, CA

$309 10.2%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 29.1% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Downey, CA

$153 5.1%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 8.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Downey, CA

$65 2.2%

Lisbon

$66 3% 0.8% $0.5

Getting Around

Downey, CA

$6.3 * 0.2%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 894% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,946 in Downey, CA and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Downey, CA pays 163% 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: $80.0 in Downey, CA vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Downey, CA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

09:40 9:40 AM

17:40 5:40 PM

8 h ahead of Downey, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

114,355

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Downey, CA Lisbon 9,120 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Downey, CA
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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

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

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 37% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 163% higher in Downey, 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: $1,946 in Downey, CA versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Downey, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,035 per month in Downey, CA versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 37% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $3,035 in Downey, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Downey, 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 Downey, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Downey, 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 37% less than in Downey, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.