Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairfield, CA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $3,978 in Fairfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

190

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CA
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Fairfield, CA Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,978

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,978 in Fairfield, CA versus $2,206 in Lisbon.

Fairfield, CA $3,978
Lisbon $2,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,242 in Fairfield, CA versus $3,276 in Lisbon.

Fairfield, CA $5,242
Lisbon $3,276

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,507 in Fairfield, CA versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Fairfield, CA $6,507
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Fairfield, CA is roughly 80% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fairfield, CA 194% above, Lisbon 63% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.62 $21.62

$16.86 €14.98

28.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$61.0 €54.2

45.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.01 $12.01

$10.98 €9.75

9.38%

Cappuccino

$6.94 $6.94

$3.05 €2.71

127.54%

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

$3.49 $3.49

$2.28 €2.03

53.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.68 €1.49

20.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 $7.98

$3.44 €3.05

131.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$3.91 €3.47

83.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.15 €1.02

22.61%

White Bread (500g)

$4.42 $4.42

$1.89 €1.68

133.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$1.50 €1.33

212.00%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$4.12 €3.66

34.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.08 $14.08

$13.01 €11.55

8.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$8.04 €7.15

89.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.77 $17.77

$17.89 €15.89

-0.67%

Apples (1kg)

$6.11 $6.11

$2.27 €2.02

169.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.74 €1.55

48.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$1.82 €1.62

248.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.60 $6.60

$2.69 €2.39

145.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$1.77 €1.57

119.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.54 $3.54

$1.94 €1.72

82.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.46 €1.30

59.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$0.76 €0.68

171.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.87 $11.87

$6.66 €5.91

78.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.18 $10.18

$5.64 €5.01

80.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.29 €1.15

63.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.14 €1.90

-0.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.30 €2.04

-14.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.1 $87.1

$44.02 €39.10

97.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.98 €3.54

-25.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.64 €0.57

204.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.14 $29.14

$18.93 €16.81

53.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$2.28 €2.02

-37.28%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$33.4K €29.6K

-15.56%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$38.5K €34.2K

-32.17%

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

$193 $193

$158 €141

21.81%

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

$48.25 $48.25

$17.54 €15.58

175.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.9 $72.9

$31.18 €27.70

133.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$125 $125

$44.64 €39.66

180.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$73.7 $73.7

$18.98 €16.86

288.36%

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 $14.61

$9.58 €8.51

52.51%

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

$1,293 $1,293

$674 €598

91.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K $22.3K

$18.7K €16.6K

19.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$102 €90.8

-50.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.08 $37.08

$45.90 €40.77

-19.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$102 €90.8

5.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$122 €108

-8.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,396 $2,396

$1,641 €1,457

46.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 $2,432

$1,187 €1,055

104.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,100 $3,100

$2,825 €2,509

9.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,967 $2,967

$2,018 €1,793

47.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,719 $3,719

$7,836 €6,960

-52.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,665 $3,665

$4,701 €4,176

-22.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,749 $4,749

$1,687 €1,499

181.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

3.82

69.63%

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

Last update for Fairfield, CA: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fairfield, CA

$2.4K 61.1%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 51.2% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Fairfield, CA

$463 11.7%

Lisbon

$275 12.5% 40.7% $189

Eating Out

Fairfield, CA

$369 9.3%

Lisbon

$245 11.1% 33.4% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairfield, CA

$314 7.9%

Lisbon

$207 9.4% 34.1% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Fairfield, CA

$155 3.9%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 58.7% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Fairfield, CA

$138 3.5%

Lisbon

$168 7.6% 21.2% $29

Getting Around

Fairfield, CA

$108 2.7%

Lisbon

$60 2.7% 43.9% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,396 in Fairfield, CA and $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fairfield, CA pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Fairfield, CA vs $61 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $463 vs $275 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

13:08 1:08 PM

21:08 9:08 PM

8 h ahead of Fairfield, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,133

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Fairfield, CA Lisbon 9,060 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Fairfield, 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

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

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Fairfield, 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 in Fairfield, CA is about 2.8 times higher, 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: $2,396 in Fairfield, CA versus $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,978 per month in Fairfield, CA versus $2,206 in Lisbon – Lisbon is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 49% less than in Fairfield, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,206 in Lisbon versus $3,978 in Fairfield, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Fairfield, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Fairfield, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.