Cost of Living Comparison Between Framingham, MA and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Framingham, MA and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,375 in Framingham, MA versus $2,258 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,828 in Framingham, MA versus $3,328 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,281 in Framingham, MA versus $4,397 in Lisbon.

Living in Framingham, MA is roughly 49% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Framingham, MA 151% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.84 $18.84

$15.82 €13.46

19.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$64.4 €54.8

56.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.61 $13.61

$10.37 €8.82

31.24%

Cappuccino

$3.74 $3.74

$2.89 €2.46

29.41%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$2.23 €1.90

21.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.55 €1.32

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 $6.06

$3.38 €2.88

79.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.69 $6.69

$3.90 €3.32

71.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.12 €0.96

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 $3.41

$1.80 €1.53

89.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$1.75 €1.49

80.57%

Eggs

$6.12 $6.12

$3.17 €2.70

93.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.64 $10.64

$13.50 €11.49

-21.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.84 $9.84

$7.79 €6.63

26.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.13 $20.13

$15.65 €13.32

28.63%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.28 €1.94

64.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.71 €1.46

12.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$1.93 €1.65

208.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.79 $5.79

$2.52 €2.15

129.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.79 €1.52

10.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.05 €1.74

34.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.94 €1.65

51.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$0.81 €0.69

209.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.85 $10.85

$6.65 €5.66

63.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.95 $14.95

$5.79 €4.92

158.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.33 €1.14

62.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.91 €2.47

-32.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.41 $2.41

$2.35 €2.00

2.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.89

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 $3.96

$4.20 €3.58

-5.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.81 €0.69

117.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.61 $29.61

$18.70 €15.91

58.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$2.09 €1.78

-60.29%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$34.6K €29.5K

-17.71%

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

$16.8K $16.8K

$39.7K €33.7K

-57.58%

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

$224 $224

$146 €124

53.59%

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

$29.54 $29.54

$20.84 €17.73

41.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.6 $64.6

$39.78 €33.85

62.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.42 $25.42

$48.58 €41.35

-47.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.14 $25.14

$18.85 €16.04

33.37%

Cinema Ticket

$8.92 $8.92

$9.07 €7.72

-1.65%

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

$1,526 $1,526

$618 €526

146.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.4K $23.4K

$16.2K €13.8K

44.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.55 $35.55

$105 €89.0

-66.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.51 $29.51

$40.54 €34.50

-27.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.7 $56.7

$93.8 €79.8

-39.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.1 $84.1

$123 €104

-31.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,044 $2,044

$1,604 €1,365

27.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,190 $2,190

$1,260 €1,073

73.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,280 $3,280

$3,065 €2,608

7.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,431 $3,431

$2,008 €1,709

70.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,555

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,716

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,681 $4,681

$1,638 €1,394

185.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

3.81

73.49%

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

Last update for Framingham, MA: April 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,044 in Framingham, MA and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Framingham, MA pays 186% 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: $101 in Framingham, MA vs $64 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $268 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

Framingham, MA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Framingham, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Framingham, MA pays 186% 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: $2,044 in Framingham, MA versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,526 in Framingham, MA versus $618 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 $64.0 versus $101 in Framingham, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,258 in Lisbon versus $3,375 in Framingham, MA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Framingham, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,258 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Framingham, MA 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 49% less than in Framingham, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.