Cost of Living Comparison Between Ellsworth, ME and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Ellsworth, ME and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,532 in Ellsworth, ME versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,787 in Ellsworth, ME versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,043 in Ellsworth, ME versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Ellsworth, ME is roughly 13% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ellsworth, ME 89% above, Lisbon 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.47 $18.47

$15.73 €13.42

17.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$63.2 €53.9

72.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.20 $12.20

$10.32 €8.80

18.22%

Cappuccino

$4.97 $4.97

$2.81 €2.40

76.87%

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

$1.98 $1.98

$2.33 €1.99

-15.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.51 €1.29

54.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.37 €2.87

16.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.91 $5.91

$3.91 €3.34

51.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.08 €0.92

-4.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.75 €1.49

105.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$1.75 €1.50

211.43%

Eggs

$4.33 $4.33

$3.10 €2.64

39.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.49 $16.49

$13.28 €11.33

24.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.84 $7.84

$7.85 €6.70

-0.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.99 $10.99

$16.05 €13.69

-31.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.39 €2.04

40.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.72 €1.47

-4.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$1.97 €1.68

229.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$2.55 €2.17

72.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.79 €1.53

25.14%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.97 €1.68

-17.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.96 €1.67

56.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.84 €0.71

180.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.65 $12.65

$6.82 €5.82

85.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$5.85 €4.99

152.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.38 €1.18

36.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.92 €2.49

3.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.29 €1.95

-12.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 $2.01

$4.12 €3.51

-51.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.81 €0.69

93.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.78 $28.78

$18.94 €16.16

51.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$2.09 €1.78

-58.85%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$35.1K €30.0K

-15.35%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

$39.7K €33.9K

-5.32%

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

$164 $164

$150 €128

9.37%

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

$54.0 $54.0

$20.49 €17.48

163.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 $50.4

$39.15 €33.40

28.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.46 $43.46

$49.65 €42.35

-12.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

Cinema Ticket

$14.33 $14.33

$9.20 €7.84

55.76%

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

$1,276 $1,276

$624 €533

104.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$15.9K €13.6K

48.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 $50.5

$102 €87.2

-50.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$76.1 $76.1

$40.88 €34.87

86.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.1 $98.1

$95.7 €81.6

2.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.3 $98.3

$121 €103

-18.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 $1,619

$1,653 €1,410

-2.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,364 $1,364

$1,233 €1,051

10.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,636 $2,636

$3,043 €2,596

-13.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,191 $2,191

$2,059 €1,756

6.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,300 $2,300

$7,879 €6,720

-70.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,523 $2,523

$4,303 €3,671

-41.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-21.26%

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

Last update for Ellsworth, ME: April 22, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,619 in Ellsworth, ME and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $109 in Ellsworth, ME vs $63 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $270 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

Ellsworth, ME vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,798 in Ellsworth, ME and $3,365 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,619 in Ellsworth, ME versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,276 in Ellsworth, ME versus $624 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 $63.0 versus $109 in Ellsworth, ME. 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.

For families, Lisbon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Ellsworth, ME, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Ellsworth, ME 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 13% less than in Ellsworth, ME. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.