Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin, CA and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin, CA and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,573 in Dublin, CA versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,786 in Dublin, CA versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,999 in Dublin, CA versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Dublin, CA is roughly 16% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dublin, CA 92% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.63 $29.63

$15.91 €13.81

86.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.28 $49.28

$64.8 €56.2

-23.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 $14.13

$10.51 €9.12

34.44%

Cappuccino

$6.38 $6.38

$2.87 €2.49

122.30%

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

$3.60 $3.60

$2.24 €1.95

60.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.50 €1.30

124.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.83 $8.83

$3.49 €3.03

153.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.17 $9.17

$3.88 €3.37

136.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.14 €0.99

15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.75 €1.52

148.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.76 €1.52

75.57%

Eggs

$5.25 $5.25

$3.22 €2.79

63.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.48 $6.48

$13.49 €11.71

-51.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.96 $10.96

$7.91 €6.87

38.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.64 $12.64

$15.87 €13.77

-20.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.31 €2.00

100.87%

Banana (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$1.70 €1.48

121.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.01 €1.74

113.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.46 €2.13

77.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$1.84 €1.60

62.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.00 €1.74

13.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.93 €1.67

2.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$0.79 €0.68

227.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.73 $8.73

$6.61 €5.73

32.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 $15.16

$5.72 €4.97

165.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.37 €1.18

56.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.97 €2.58

-22.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.37 €2.06

-13.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 $4.46

$4.29 €3.72

3.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$0.82 €0.71

128.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.54 $29.54

$18.30 €15.88

61.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.06 €1.79

-40.78%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$34.3K €29.7K

-11.69%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$39.3K €34.1K

-31.46%

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

$76.4 $76.4

$148 €128

-48.35%

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

$39.25 $39.25

$20.52 €17.80

91.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 $62.5

$39.61 €34.37

57.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.23 $43.23

$47.85 €41.51

-9.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

Cinema Ticket

$17.76 $17.76

$9.18 €7.97

93.46%

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

$1,146 $1,146

$614 €533

86.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$16.0K €13.9K

48.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.0 $57.0

$105 €90.8

-45.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.67 $39.67

$42.06 €36.49

-5.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 $78.6

$94.0 €81.5

-16.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.7 $78.7

$120 €104

-34.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 $1,633

$1,628 €1,412

0.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 $1,365

$1,255 €1,089

8.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 $2,661

$3,030 €2,629

-12.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,190 $2,190

$2,020 €1,753

8.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.1K $13.1K

$7,800 €6,767

68.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$4,273 €3,707

154.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,671 $5,671

$1,603 €1,391

253.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

3.81

75.07%

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

Last update for Dublin, CA: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Dublin, CA and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dublin, CA pays 254% 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: $49.00 in Dublin, CA vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $385 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 16% 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.

Dublin, CA pays 254% more on average, 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: $1,633 in Dublin, CA versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,146 in Dublin, CA versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $49.00 in Dublin, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,210 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 16% less than in Dublin, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.