Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fairfield, CT and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,624 in Fairfield, CT, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CT
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Fairfield, CT Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Fairfield, CT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,624

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,624 per month in Fairfield, CT vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

Fairfield, CT $2,624
Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $3,865 per month in Fairfield, CT vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

Fairfield, CT $3,865
Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $5,106 per month in Fairfield, CT vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

Fairfield, CT $5,106
Lisbon $4,346

Fairfield, CT costs about 19% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fairfield, CT and Lisbon sit above the global median – Fairfield, CT by 94%, Lisbon by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.72 $19.72

$17.04 €15.15

15.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.7 $73.7

$62.3 €55.4

18.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.48 $11.48

$11.02 €9.80

4.17%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.12 €2.78

80.45%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$2.27 €2.02

7.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.74 €1.55

2.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.42 €3.04

71.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 $7.04

$3.74 €3.33

88.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.17 €1.04

-13.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.86 €1.66

90.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.54 €1.37

184.42%

Eggs

$4.25 $4.25

$4.06 €3.61

4.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 $12.61

$12.91 €11.49

-2.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.70 $11.70

$7.90 €7.03

48.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.14 $17.14

$17.64 €15.69

-2.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.26 €2.01

91.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.75 €1.55

-12.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$1.89 €1.68

103.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.56 €2.27

70.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.85 €1.64

57.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.97 €1.75

37.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.45 €1.29

46.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.77 €0.69

205.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.85 $8.85

$6.71 €5.97

31.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.52 $15.52

$5.67 €5.04

173.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.37 €1.22

43.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.11 €1.88

48.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.32 €2.07

-12.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.0 $70.0

$44.43 €39.52

57.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.95 €3.51

-16.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.05 €0.93

62.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.28 $30.28

$17.15 €15.26

76.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$2.19 €1.95

-47.95%

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

$30.4K $30.4K

$33.8K €30.0K

-9.95%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$38.3K €34.0K

-31.63%

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

$197 $197

$164 €146

20.26%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$18.48 €16.43

214.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$32.96 €29.32

114.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.03 $42.03

$45.87 €40.80

-8.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$14.29 $14.29

$9.75 €8.67

46.56%

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

$1,424 $1,424

$684 €608

108.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$17.6K €15.7K

32.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$104 €92.3

-49.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 $40.95

$46.20 €41.09

-11.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 $88.4

$99.7 €88.7

-11.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$115 $115

$125 €111

-7.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,567 $1,567

$1,589 €1,414

-1.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 $1,290

$1,169 €1,040

10.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,545 $2,545

$2,851 €2,536

-10.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 $2,184

$1,993 €1,773

9.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,337 $2,337

$7,793 €6,932

-70.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,221 $2,221

$4,418 €3,930

-49.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,993 $4,993

$1,600 €1,423

212.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

55.84%

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

Last update for Fairfield, CT: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fairfield, CT

$1.3K 49.2%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 9.4% $121

Groceries & Markets

Fairfield, CT

$394 15%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 30.7% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fairfield, CT

$326 12.4%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 33.9% $110

Eating Out

Fairfield, CT

$320 12.2%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 22.7% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Fairfield, CT

$134 5.1%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 26.1% $35

Getting Around

Fairfield, CT

$90 3.4%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 30% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Fairfield, CT

$71 2.7%

Lisbon

$65 3% 7.4% $5.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,567 in Fairfield, CT versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 212% higher in Fairfield, CT, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Fairfield, CT versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $394 vs $273 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CT

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

04:09 4:09 AM

09:09 9:09 AM

5 h ahead of Fairfield, CT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,133

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Fairfield, CT Lisbon 5,350 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Yes – Fairfield, CT is pricier by about 19%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,936 per month in Fairfield, CT and $3,302 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $1,424 per month in Fairfield, CT and $684 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Fairfield, CT, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,202, than in Fairfield, CT at $2,624. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fairfield, CT it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Fairfield, CT makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.