Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham, NC and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham, NC and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,605 in Durham, NC versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,797 in Durham, NC versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,988 in Durham, NC versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Durham, NC is roughly 15% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham, NC 94% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.06 $15.06

$15.94 €13.73

-5.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.2 $69.2

$63.4 €54.6

9.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.84 $9.84

$10.38 €8.95

-5.20%

Cappuccino

$4.66 $4.66

$2.79 €2.40

67.03%

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

$2.22 $2.22

$2.34 €2.01

-5.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.57 €1.35

15.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$3.43 €2.95

49.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.41 $6.41

$3.91 €3.37

63.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.08 €0.93

-18.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 $3.74

$1.77 €1.52

111.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 $3.67

$1.71 €1.47

114.62%

Eggs

$4.51 $4.51

$3.15 €2.71

43.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.98 $8.98

$13.68 €11.79

-34.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.34 $12.34

$8.01 €6.90

54.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.60 $15.60

$15.52 €13.37

0.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$2.29 €1.98

139.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.64 €1.41

-25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$1.94 €1.67

97.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.51 €2.17

36.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$1.79 €1.54

43.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.01 €1.73

38.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.97 €1.69

-3.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$0.84 €0.73

126.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.95 $9.95

$6.79 €5.85

46.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.29 $15.29

$5.67 €4.89

169.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.39 €1.20

26.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 $4.11

$3.02 €2.60

36.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.27 €1.95

-9.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.73 $24.73

$45.44 €39.15

-45.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$4.29 €3.70

-52.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.85 €0.73

77.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.95 $22.95

$18.28 €15.75

25.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.99 €1.71

-58.79%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$35.0K €30.2K

-18.61%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$39.5K €34.1K

-34.42%

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

$161 $161

$146 €126

9.99%

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

$53.3 $53.3

$20.45 €17.62

160.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.3 $75.3

$38.98 €33.58

93.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.40 $39.40

$48.98 €42.21

-19.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

Cinema Ticket

$12.16 $12.16

$9.52 €8.21

27.73%

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

$1,283 $1,283

$608 €524

110.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.9K $30.9K

$16.5K €14.2K

87.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 $53.2

$104 €89.5

-48.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.27 $35.27

$42.12 €36.29

-16.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 $77.0

$92.2 €79.5

-16.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$120 €103

-0.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,854 $1,854

$1,621 €1,397

14.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,406 $1,406

$1,268 €1,092

10.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,532 $2,532

$3,048 €2,626

-16.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,367 $2,367

$2,009 €1,731

17.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,751 $2,751

$7,663 €6,602

-64.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,665 $2,665

$4,329 €3,730

-38.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,464 $4,464

$1,585 €1,366

181.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

3.81

71.65%

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

Last update for Durham, NC: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,854 in Durham, NC and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham, NC pays 182% 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: $69.0 in Durham, NC vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

Durham, NC vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Durham, NC. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Durham, NC pays 182% 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: $1,854 in Durham, NC versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 84% less than in Durham, NC. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,283 in Durham, NC versus $608 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,263 in Lisbon versus $2,605 in Durham, NC, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Durham, NC. 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 $2,263 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Durham, NC 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 15% less than in Durham, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.