Cost of Living Comparison Between Edison, NJ and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Edison, NJ and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,091 in Edison, NJ versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,443 in Edison, NJ versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,795 in Edison, NJ versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Edison, NJ is roughly 36% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edison, NJ 124% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.65 $17.65

$17.55 €15.12

0.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 $61.0

$64.5 €55.6

-5.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.02 $9.02

$11.65 €10.04

-22.58%

Cappuccino

$4.06 $4.06

$3.26 €2.81

24.54%

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

$1.02 $1.02

$2.49 €2.15

-59.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.67 €1.44

-39.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.54 $3.54

$3.47 €2.99

2.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.88 $6.88

$3.58 €3.08

92.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.18 €1.02

-11.02%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.95 €1.68

59.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$1.56 €1.35

285.26%

Eggs

$2.55 $2.55

$4.01 €3.46

-36.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.48 $13.48

$13.27 €11.44

1.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 $10.16

$8.42 €7.26

20.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.92 $19.92

$18.23 €15.72

9.27%

Apples (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.32 €2.00

163.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.73 €1.49

-13.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.93 €1.67

115.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$2.64 €2.27

96.97%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$1.90 €1.64

64.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$2.11 €1.82

39.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 $3.00

$1.44 €1.24

108.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.80 €0.69

157.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.87 $9.87

$7.01 €6.04

40.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.97 $14.97

$5.92 €5.11

152.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.36 €1.18

29.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.15 €1.85

65.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.83 $5.83

$2.38 €2.05

144.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$204 $204

$46.22 €39.85

340.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$4.19 €3.61

-29.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.10 €0.95

-17.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.17 $41.17

$17.26 €14.88

138.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.25 €1.94

-59.56%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$34.5K €29.7K

2.32%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$41.6K €35.9K

-39.72%

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

$169 $169

$171 €147

-1.37%

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

$51.2 $51.2

$19.01 €16.38

169.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.5 $50.5

$34.28 €29.55

47.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.75 $21.75

$49.65 €42.80

-56.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$14.88 $14.88

$10.10 €8.71

47.33%

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

$2,012 $2,012

$699 €603

187.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K $15.8K

$17.8K €15.3K

-10.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.29 $49.29

$105 €90.2

-52.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.2 $81.2

$47.97 €41.35

69.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$61.1 $61.1

$102 €87.8

-40.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.9 $90.9

$128 €111

-29.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,142 $2,142

$1,661 €1,432

28.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,809 $1,809

$1,228 €1,059

47.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,159 $3,159

$2,915 €2,513

8.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,751 $2,751

$2,023 €1,744

35.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,894 $6,894

$1,619 €1,396

325.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.28

3.78

66.14%

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

Last update for Edison, NJ: September 5, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,142 in Edison, NJ and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Edison, NJ pays 326% 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: $61.0 in Edison, NJ vs $64.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $281, 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

Edison, NJ vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Edison, NJ and Lisbon differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($3,091 vs $2,268 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 326% higher in Edison, NJ, 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: $2,142 in Edison, NJ versus $1,661 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 341% less than in Edison, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,012 in Edison, NJ versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Edison, NJ 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 36% less than in Edison, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.