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: $3,265 in Framingham, MA versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,735 in Framingham, MA versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,205 in Framingham, MA versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Framingham, MA is roughly 42% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Framingham, MA 144% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 $19.09

$16.19 €14.18

17.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$63.3 €55.5

59.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.60 $13.60

$10.32 €9.04

31.78%

Cappuccino

$3.61 $3.61

$2.83 €2.48

27.56%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$2.29 €2.01

23.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.58 €1.38

36.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 $6.15

$3.40 €2.98

80.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.91 $6.91

$4.03 €3.53

71.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.09 €0.96

2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.75 €1.53

96.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.76 €1.54

72.16%

Eggs

$6.03 $6.03

$3.17 €2.77

90.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.73 $10.73

$13.19 €11.56

-18.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.80 $9.80

$7.97 €6.98

22.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.05 $20.05

$15.53 €13.60

29.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$2.37 €2.07

56.12%

Banana (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.71 €1.49

17.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.85 $5.85

$2.01 €1.76

191.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$2.43 €2.13

138.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.76 €1.54

12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.03 €1.78

37.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.92 €1.68

56.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$0.85 €0.74

202.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.09 $11.09

$6.58 €5.76

68.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.18 $14.18

$5.58 €4.89

154.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.33 €1.17

56.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.97 €2.60

-31.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.28 €1.99

2.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.94 $3.94

$4.23 €3.70

-6.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.81 €0.71

118.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.05 $29.05

$18.44 €16.15

57.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$2.08 €1.82

-59.13%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$34.7K €30.4K

-19.11%

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

$17.3K $17.3K

$39.2K €34.3K

-55.85%

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

$229 $229

$148 €130

54.57%

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

$30.44 $30.44

$20.46 €17.92

48.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.8 $65.8

$39.56 €34.64

66.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$24.66 $24.66

$47.99 €42.03

-48.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.24 $25.24

$18.60 €16.29

35.70%

Cinema Ticket

$8.80 $8.80

$9.22 €8.08

-4.56%

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

$1,491 $1,491

$616 €540

142.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$16.4K €14.4K

44.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.12 $35.12

$103 €90.0

-65.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.20 $30.20

$41.74 €36.55

-27.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.0 $58.0

$94.8 €83.0

-38.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 $82.5

$122 €107

-32.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 $2,079

$1,633 €1,430

27.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 $2,150

$1,232 €1,079

74.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,210 $3,210

$3,098 €2,713

3.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,428 $3,428

$2,031 €1,779

68.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,765 $4,765

$1,607 €1,408

196.46%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,079 in Framingham, MA and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Framingham, MA pays 196% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $267 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 42% 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.

Average pay runs 196% higher in Framingham, MA, 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: $2,079 in Framingham, MA versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,491 in Framingham, MA versus $616 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 $63.0 versus $101 in Framingham, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 $2,291 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 42% less than in Framingham, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.