Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Fullerton, CA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $3,507 in Fullerton, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

169

Cost of Living Index in Fullerton, CA
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Fullerton, CA Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Fullerton, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,507

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,507 per month in Fullerton, CA vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

Fullerton, CA $3,507
Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $5,392 per month in Fullerton, CA vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

Fullerton, CA $5,392
Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $7,276 per month in Fullerton, CA vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

Fullerton, CA $7,276
Lisbon $4,346

Fullerton, CA costs about 59% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Fullerton, CA and Lisbon sit above the global median – Fullerton, CA by 159%, Lisbon by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 $25.09

$17.04 €15.15

47.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$62.3 €55.4

26.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 $11.35

$11.02 €9.80

2.99%

Cappuccino

$5.72 $5.72

$3.12 €2.78

83.33%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$2.27 €2.02

23.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.74 €1.55

17.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 $7.88

$3.42 €3.04

130.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.74 €3.33

162.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.17 €1.04

20.51%

White Bread (500g)

$5.10 $5.10

$1.86 €1.66

174.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.54 €1.37

181.82%

Eggs

$5.06 $5.06

$4.06 €3.61

24.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.26 $12.26

$12.91 €11.49

-5.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.63 $8.63

$7.90 €7.03

9.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.69 $15.69

$17.64 €15.69

-11.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$2.26 €2.01

107.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.75 €1.55

-1.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.89 €1.68

112.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.56 €2.27

150.00%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$1.85 €1.64

92.97%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.97 €1.75

68.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.45 €1.29

45.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$0.77 €0.69

231.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 $11.66

$6.71 €5.97

73.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.13 $15.13

$5.67 €5.04

166.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.37 €1.22

27.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.11 €1.88

54.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.32 €2.07

-0.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 $64.6

$44.43 €39.52

45.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.95 €3.51

12.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.05 €0.93

80.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.21 $36.21

$17.15 €15.26

111.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.19 €1.95

-32.42%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$33.8K €30.0K

-19.38%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$38.3K €34.0K

-31.40%

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

$213 $213

$164 €146

29.97%

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

$84.5 $84.5

$18.48 €16.43

357.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.2 $73.2

$32.96 €29.32

122.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.78 $40.78

$45.87 €40.80

-11.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 $12.13

$9.75 €8.67

24.41%

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

$1,391 $1,391

$684 €608

103.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.3K $43.3K

$17.6K €15.7K

145.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 $75.0

$104 €92.3

-27.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.26 $40.26

$46.20 €41.09

-12.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.4 $88.4

$99.7 €88.7

-11.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$125 €111

-3.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,588 $2,588

$1,589 €1,414

62.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 $2,043

$1,169 €1,040

74.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,005 $4,005

$2,851 €2,536

40.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,069 $4,069

$1,993 €1,773

104.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,472 $5,472

$7,793 €6,932

-29.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,578 $4,578

$1,600 €1,423

186.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

3.85

63.90%

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

Last update for Fullerton, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Fullerton, CA

$2K 58.3%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 42.8% $874

Groceries & Markets

Fullerton, CA

$413 11.8%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 33.9% $140

Eating Out

Fullerton, CA

$382 10.9%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 35.2% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Fullerton, CA

$371 10.6%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 41.9% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Fullerton, CA

$146 4.2%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 15.7% $23

Getting Around

Fullerton, CA

$88 2.5%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 28.2% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Fullerton, CA

$65 1.9%

Lisbon

$65 3% 0.5% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,588 in Fullerton, CA 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 186% higher in Fullerton, CA, 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 $79.0 in Fullerton, CA versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $413 vs $273 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Fullerton, CA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

04:36 4:36 AM

12:36 12:36 PM

8 h ahead of Fullerton, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

135,161

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

On the map

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Between locations

Fullerton, CA Lisbon 9,110 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Fullerton, 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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,507 in Fullerton, CA, $2,202 in Lisbon – roughly 59% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,260 per month in Fullerton, CA 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 $1,391 per month in Fullerton, CA 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 51% more in Fullerton, CA, 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 Fullerton, CA at $3,507. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Fullerton, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Fullerton, CA has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,202 in Lisbon to $3,507 in Fullerton, CA. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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, Fullerton, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.