Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin, CA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $3,813 in Dublin, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

186

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

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Dublin, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,813

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,813 in Dublin, CA versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Dublin, CA $3,813
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,432 in Dublin, CA versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Dublin, CA $5,432
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,050 in Dublin, CA versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Dublin, CA $7,050
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Dublin, CA is roughly 73% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dublin, CA 181% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.80 $20.80

$17.04 €15.15

22.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$62.3 €55.4

4.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 $11.14

$11.02 €9.80

1.09%

Cappuccino

$5.28 $5.28

$3.12 €2.78

69.23%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$2.27 €2.02

17.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.74 €1.55

37.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$3.42 €3.04

107.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$3.74 €3.33

84.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.17 €1.04

41.03%

White Bread (500g)

$4.43 $4.43

$1.86 €1.66

138.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$1.54 €1.37

164.29%

Eggs

$5.86 $5.86

$4.06 €3.61

44.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$12.91 €11.49

-48.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.90 €7.03

79.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.22 $22.22

$17.64 €15.69

25.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$2.26 €2.01

132.30%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.75 €1.55

15.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$1.89 €1.68

192.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$2.56 €2.27

75.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.85 €1.64

94.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.97 €1.75

9.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.45 €1.29

40.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$0.77 €0.69

231.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.57 $11.57

$6.71 €5.97

72.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.73 $15.73

$5.67 €5.04

177.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.37 €1.22

79.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.11 €1.88

56.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.32 €2.07

33.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.7 $89.7

$44.43 €39.52

101.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.95 €3.51

-9.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.05 €0.93

188.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.19 $30.19

$17.15 €15.26

76.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$2.19 €1.95

-35.62%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$33.8K €30.0K

8.28%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$38.3K €34.0K

-31.67%

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

$124 $124

$164 €146

-24.38%

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

$48.57 $48.57

$18.48 €16.43

162.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.6 $81.6

$32.96 €29.32

147.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.51 $34.51

$45.87 €40.80

-24.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.94 $34.94

$18.68 €16.61

87.04%

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$9.75 €8.67

54.97%

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

$1,797 $1,797

$684 €608

162.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.0K $39.0K

$17.6K €15.7K

121.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 $59.1

$104 €92.3

-43.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 $52.0

$46.20 €41.09

12.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 $79.2

$99.7 €88.7

-20.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$125 €111

-4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,822 $2,822

$1,589 €1,414

77.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 $2,457

$1,169 €1,040

110.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,530 $4,530

$2,851 €2,536

58.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,002 $4,002

$1,993 €1,773

100.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.9K $12.9K

$7,793 €6,932

65.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.8K $10.8K

$4,418 €3,930

144.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,418 $6,418

$1,600 €1,423

301.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

3.85

73.25%

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

Last update for Dublin, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin, CA

$2.5K 64.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 52.4% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Dublin, CA

$445 11.7%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 38.6% $172

Eating Out

Dublin, CA

$333 8.7%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 25.6% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin, CA

$254 6.7%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 15.3% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin, CA

$139 3.7%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 20.9% $29

Getting Around

Dublin, CA

$121 3.2%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 47.9% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin, CA

$65 1.7%

Lisbon

$65 3% 1% $0.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,822 in Dublin, CA and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dublin, CA pays 301% 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: $65.0 in Dublin, CA vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $445 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dublin, CA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

03:16 3:16 AM

11:16 11:16 AM

8 h ahead of Dublin, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

49,328

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

Dublin, CA Lisbon 9,090 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Dublin, 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

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

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Dublin, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 301% higher in Dublin, 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: $2,822 in Dublin, CA versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Dublin, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $65.0 in Dublin, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $3,813 in Dublin, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Dublin, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,202 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Dublin, 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 73% less than in Dublin, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.