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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,962 in Fairfield, CA versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,555 in Fairfield, CA versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,149 in Fairfield, CA versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Fairfield, CA is roughly 77% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Fairfield, CA 196% above, Lisbon 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.15 $22.15

$15.73 €13.42

40.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.5 $81.5

$63.2 €53.9

29.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 $11.81

$10.32 €8.80

14.44%

Cappuccino

$4.82 $4.82

$2.81 €2.40

71.53%

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

$2.90 $2.90

$2.33 €1.99

24.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.51 €1.29

31.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.33 $7.33

$3.37 €2.87

117.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$3.91 €3.34

76.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.08 €0.92

9.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.75 €1.49

128.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$1.75 €1.50

156.00%

Eggs

$5.31 $5.31

$3.10 €2.64

71.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.33 $13.33

$13.28 €11.33

0.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 $11.24

$7.85 €6.70

43.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.82 $17.82

$16.05 €13.69

11.03%

Apples (1kg)

$7.97 $7.97

$2.39 €2.04

233.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.72 €1.47

65.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$1.97 €1.68

202.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.58 $7.58

$2.55 €2.17

197.25%

Potato (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$1.79 €1.53

125.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$1.97 €1.68

95.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.96 €1.67

13.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.84 €0.71

140.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.11 $12.11

$6.82 €5.82

77.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 $9.83

$5.85 €4.99

68.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.38 €1.18

30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.92 €2.49

-13.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.29 €1.95

-11.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.8 $87.8

$46.88 €39.99

87.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$4.12 €3.51

-26.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$0.81 €0.69

130.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.03 $29.03

$18.94 €16.16

53.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$2.09 €1.78

-36.84%

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

$33.5K $33.5K

$35.1K €30.0K

-4.57%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$39.7K €33.9K

-30.54%

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

$228 $228

$150 €128

52.69%

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

$50.6 $50.6

$20.49 €17.48

146.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 $75.7

$39.15 €33.40

93.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$49.65 €42.35

146.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$75.6 $75.6

$18.47 €15.76

309.26%

Cinema Ticket

$14.16 $14.16

$9.20 €7.84

53.91%

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

$1,877 $1,877

$624 €533

200.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.4K $20.4K

$15.9K €13.6K

28.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 $57.9

$102 €87.2

-43.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.66 $42.66

$40.88 €34.87

4.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 $85.8

$95.7 €81.6

-10.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$121 €103

-9.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 $2,477

$1,653 €1,410

49.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,416 $2,416

$1,233 €1,051

96.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,353 $3,353

$3,043 €2,596

10.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,661 $3,661

$2,059 €1,756

77.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,676 $3,676

$7,879 €6,720

-53.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,743 $3,743

$4,303 €3,671

-13.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,739 $4,739

$1,566 €1,336

202.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.52

3.81

71.13%

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

Last update for Fairfield, CA: April 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,477 in Fairfield, CA and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fairfield, CA pays 203% 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: $81 in Fairfield, CA vs $63 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $446 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

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

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 77% 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.

Fairfield, CA pays 203% 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: $2,477 in Fairfield, CA versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,962 per month in Fairfield, CA versus $2,243 in Lisbon – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 87% less than in Fairfield, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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 $2,243 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Fairfield, 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 77% less than in Fairfield, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.