Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Foster City, CA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $4,255 in Foster City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

206

Cost of Living Index in Foster City, CA
Learn more

Foster City, CA Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

Jump to prices

Foster City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,255

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $4,255 per month in Foster City, CA vs $2,206 in Lisbon, rent included.

Foster City, CA $4,255
Lisbon $2,206

A couple spends around $4,028 per month in Foster City, CA vs $3,276 in Lisbon, rent included.

Foster City, CA $4,028
Lisbon $3,276

A family of three spends $3,801 per month in Foster City, CA vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

Foster City, CA $3,801
Lisbon $4,346

Foster City, CA costs about 93% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Foster City, CA and Lisbon sit above the global median – Foster City, CA by 215%, Lisbon by 63%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.11 $25.11

$16.86 €14.98

48.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 $111

$61.0 €54.2

82.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$10.98 €9.75

7.47%

Cappuccino

$5.79 $5.79

$3.05 €2.71

89.84%

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

$3.07 $3.07

$2.28 €2.03

34.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.68 €1.49

63.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$3.44 €3.05

129.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.78 $7.78

$3.91 €3.47

98.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.43 $1.43

$1.15 €1.02

24.35%

White Bread (500g)

$4.91 $4.91

$1.89 €1.68

159.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.50 €1.33

43.33%

Eggs

$6.23 $6.23

$4.12 €3.66

51.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.17 $15.17

$13.01 €11.55

16.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 $13.11

$8.04 €7.15

63.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.12 $23.12

$17.89 €15.89

29.23%

Apples (1kg)

$7.83 $7.83

$2.27 €2.02

244.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.74 €1.55

32.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$1.82 €1.62

254.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$2.69 €2.39

20.45%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$1.77 €1.57

89.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$1.94 €1.72

39.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.46 €1.30

72.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$0.76 €0.68

156.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 $11.94

$6.66 €5.91

79.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.02 $20.02

$5.64 €5.01

254.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.29 €1.15

35.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.14 €1.90

90.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.66 $3.66

$2.30 €2.04

59.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$188 $188

$44.02 €39.10

326.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.23 $3.23

$3.98 €3.54

-18.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$0.64 €0.57

189.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.23 $29.23

$18.93 €16.81

54.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.28 €2.02

-29.39%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$33.4K €29.6K

-16.61%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$38.5K €34.2K

-31.31%

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

$267 $267

$158 €141

68.85%

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

$49.28 $49.28

$17.54 €15.58

180.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 $67.0

$31.18 €27.70

114.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$111 $111

$44.64 €39.66

149.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.86

Cinema Ticket

$16.31 $16.31

$9.58 €8.51

70.25%

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

$2,485 $2,485

$674 €598

268.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.4K $42.4K

$18.7K €16.6K

126.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.13 $47.13

$102 €90.8

-53.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.55 $30.55

$45.90 €40.77

-33.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 $66.4

$102 €90.8

-35.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.98 $49.98

$122 €108

-59.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,053 $3,053

$1,641 €1,457

86.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,563 $2,563

$1,187 €1,055

115.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,509

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,793

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$7,836 €6,960

39.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,616 $9,616

$4,701 €4,176

104.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,798 $6,798

$1,687 €1,499

302.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

3.82

78.53%

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

Last update for Foster City, 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

Foster City, CA

$2.6K 60.2%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 53.7% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Foster City, CA

$478 11.2%

Lisbon

$275 12.5% 42.6% $204

Eating Out

Foster City, CA

$384 9%

Lisbon

$245 11.1% 36.1% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Foster City, CA

$383 9%

Lisbon

$207 9.4% 46% $176

Getting Around

Foster City, CA

$215 5.1%

Lisbon

$60 2.7% 71.9% $155

Sport & Entertainment

Foster City, CA

$144 3.4%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 55.6% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Foster City, CA

$87 2.1%

Lisbon

$168 7.6% 91.8% $80

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $3,053 in Foster City, CA versus $1,641 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 in Foster City, CA are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $111 in Foster City, CA versus $61 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $478 vs $275 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Foster City, CA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

11:07 11:07 AM

19:07 7:07 PM

8 h ahead of Foster City, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,567

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Foster City, CA Lisbon 9,120 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Foster City, 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

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

Yes – Foster City, CA is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $6,382 per month in Foster City, CA and $3,309 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: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,641 there versus $3,053 in Foster City, CA.

Public transport costs about 77% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,485 per month in Foster City, CA and $674 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,206, than in Foster City, CA at $4,255. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Foster City, CA 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 cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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