Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Germantown, MD and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $3,140 in Germantown, MD, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Germantown, MD
🇺🇸 United States
$3,140
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,140 per month in Germantown, MD vs $2,202 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Germantown, MD $3,140
  • Lisbon $2,202

A couple spends around $4,618 per month in Germantown, MD vs $3,274 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Germantown, MD $4,618
  • Lisbon $3,274

A family of three spends $6,097 per month in Germantown, MD vs $4,346 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Germantown, MD $6,097
  • Lisbon $4,346

Germantown, MD costs about 43% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Germantown, MD and Lisbon sit above the global median – Germantown, MD by 132%, Lisbon by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Germantown, MD
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.28 $16.28
$17.04 €15.15
-4.46%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.3 $79.3
$62.3 €55.4
27.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.72 $11.72
$11.02 €9.80
6.35%
Cappuccino
$5.23 $5.23
$3.12 €2.78
67.63%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.09 $3.09
$2.27 €2.02
36.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.96 $1.96
$1.74 €1.55
12.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.96 $5.96
$3.42 €3.04
74.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.95 $6.95
$3.74 €3.33
85.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Germantown, MD
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.76 $0.76
$1.17 €1.04
-35.04%
White Bread (500g)
$3.28 $3.28
$1.86 €1.66
76.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.71 $6.71
$1.54 €1.37
335.71%
Eggs
$3.07 $3.07
$4.06 €3.61
-24.38%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.18 $12.18
$12.91 €11.49
-5.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.94 $9.94
$7.90 €7.03
25.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.83 $16.83
$17.64 €15.69
-4.59%
Apples (1kg)
$5.62 $5.62
$2.26 €2.01
148.67%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.75 €1.55
-12.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.07 $5.07
$1.89 €1.68
168.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.13 $5.13
$2.56 €2.27
100.39%
Potato (1kg)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.85 €1.64
22.70%
Onion (1kg)
$3.05 $3.05
$1.97 €1.75
54.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.95 $1.95
$1.45 €1.29
34.48%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.97 $1.97
$0.77 €0.69
155.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.13 $9.13
$6.71 €5.97
36.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.71 $14.71
$5.67 €5.04
159.44%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.39 $2.39
$1.37 €1.22
74.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.05 $3.05
$2.11 €1.88
44.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Germantown, MD
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.57 $2.57
$2.32 €2.07
10.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$87.0 $87.0
$44.43 €39.52
95.88%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.63 $2.63
$3.95 €3.51
-33.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$1.05 €0.93
50.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.31 $22.31
$17.15 €15.26
30.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.92 $0.92
$2.19 €1.95
-57.99%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.6K $31.6K
$33.8K €30.0K
-6.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.6K $23.6K
$38.3K €34.0K
-38.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Germantown, MD
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$213 $213
$164 €146
29.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.9 $50.9
$18.48 €16.43
175.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$64.6 $64.6
$32.96 €29.32
96.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Germantown, MD
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$24.88 $24.88
$45.87 €40.80
-45.76%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.68 €16.61
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.35 $15.35
$9.75 €8.67
57.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Germantown, MD
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,351 $1,351
$684 €608
97.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$42.8K $42.8K
$17.6K €15.7K
143.03%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Germantown, MD
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$45.27 $45.27
$104 €92.3
-56.36%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.48 $39.48
$46.20 €41.09
-14.55%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.2 $90.2
$99.7 €88.7
-9.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$140 $140
$125 €111
12.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Germantown, MD
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,210 $2,210
$1,589 €1,414
39.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,823 $1,823
$1,169 €1,040
55.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,997 $3,997
$2,851 €2,536
40.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,203 $3,203
$1,993 €1,773
60.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,922 $5,922
$7,793 €6,932
-24.00%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,380 $2,380
$4,418 €3,930
-46.13%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Germantown, MD
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,237 $5,237
$1,600 €1,423
227.35%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.62
3.85
71.95%

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

Last update for Germantown, MD: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Germantown, MD
$1.8K
Lisbon
$1.2K 35.9% $654
Groceries & Markets
Germantown, MD
$391
Lisbon
$273 30.2% $118
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Germantown, MD
$328
Lisbon
$215 34.5% $113
Eating Out
Germantown, MD
$292
Lisbon
$247 15.3% $45
Clothing & Footwear
Germantown, MD
$142
Lisbon
$168 18.9% $27
Getting Around
Germantown, MD
$108
Lisbon
$63 41.7% $45
Sport & Entertainment
Germantown, MD
$56
Lisbon
$65 17.6% $9.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,210 in Germantown, MD 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 227% higher in Germantown, MD, 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 Germantown, MD versus $62.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $391 vs $273 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Germantown, MD
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
13:45 1:45 PM
18:45 6:45 PM
5 h ahead of Germantown, MD
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
86,395
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Germantown, MD Lisbon 5,740 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Germantown, MD
  • 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
Germantown, MD vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lisbon cheaper than Germantown, MD?
Yes – Germantown, MD is pricier by about 43%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,710 per month in Germantown, MD and $3,302 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
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.
How do food prices compare in Germantown, MD and in Lisbon?
Groceries cost about 43% more in Germantown, MD, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Is eating out cheaper in Germantown, MD or in Lisbon?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Germantown, MD and $62.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Germantown, MD or in Lisbon?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,202, than in Germantown, MD at $3,140. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Germantown, MD it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Germantown, MD or Lisbon more family-friendly?
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.
Which city is safer, Germantown, MD or Lisbon?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Germantown, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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