Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Herndon, VA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,296 in Herndon, VA, rent and utilities included – about $13,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Herndon, VA
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Herndon, VA Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Herndon, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,296

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,296 per month in Herndon, VA vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

Herndon, VA $3,296
Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $4,928 per month in Herndon, VA vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

Herndon, VA $4,928
Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $6,559 per month in Herndon, VA vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

Herndon, VA $6,559
Lisbon $4,341

Herndon, VA costs about 49% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Herndon, VA and Lisbon sit above the global median – Herndon, VA by 142%, Lisbon by 62%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.06 $24.06

$16.65 €14.95

44.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.7 $98.7

$61.7 €55.5

59.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 $11.06

$11.36 €10.20

-2.64%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$2.97 €2.67

94.61%

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

$3.01 $3.01

$2.29 €2.06

31.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.74 €1.56

44.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$3.40 €3.06

130.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.92 $8.92

$3.31 €2.97

169.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.16 €1.04

4.31%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 $4.18

$1.91 €1.72

118.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$1.51 €1.36

250.99%

Eggs

$5.17 $5.17

$4.02 €3.61

28.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.93 $16.93

$12.94 €11.62

30.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.90 $15.90

$7.77 €6.98

104.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.78 $18.78

$17.76 €15.95

5.74%

Apples (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$2.30 €2.07

145.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.73 €1.56

9.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.86 €1.67

154.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$2.59 €2.33

118.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.82 €1.64

53.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.97 €1.77

94.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.47 €1.32

61.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.72 €0.65

258.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.62 $9.62

$6.58 €5.91

46.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.30 $16.30

$5.61 €5.04

190.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.36 €1.22

101.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.14 €1.92

30.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.33 €2.10

5.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.55 $30.55

$44.68 €40.14

-31.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.85 €3.46

4.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.07 €0.96

17.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.39 $25.39

$16.46 €14.79

54.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.20 €1.98

-51.82%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$34.2K €30.7K

-4.98%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$38.7K €34.8K

-33.22%

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

$164 $164

$161 €145

1.59%

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

$82.4 $82.4

$18.41 €16.54

347.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$32.74 €29.41

113.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 $55.6

$44.55 €40.02

24.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.08 $10.08

$19.10 €17.16

-47.23%

Cinema Ticket

$16.38 $16.38

$9.60 €8.62

70.63%

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

$1,888 $1,888

$668 €600

182.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.4K $36.4K

$17.6K €15.8K

106.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$102 €91.6

-35.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 $43.45

$44.46 €39.94

-2.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$98.5 €88.5

7.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$124 €111

0.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,135 $2,135

$1,608 €1,445

32.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 $1,836

$1,190 €1,069

54.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,370 $3,370

$2,812 €2,526

19.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,179 $3,179

$2,013 €1,808

57.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,520 $5,520

$1,575 €1,415

250.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

3.85

72.21%

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

Last update for Herndon, VA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Herndon, VA

$1.8K 55.7%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 35.2% $646

Groceries & Markets

Herndon, VA

$478 14.5%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 43% $205

Eating Out

Herndon, VA

$374 11.4%

Lisbon

$243 11% 35.2% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Herndon, VA

$316 9.6%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 32.8% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Herndon, VA

$153 4.6%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 8.5% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Herndon, VA

$88 2.7%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 27.8% $25

Getting Around

Herndon, VA

$51 1.5%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 24.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,135 in Herndon, VA versus $1,608 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 Herndon, VA are about 3.5 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Herndon, VA versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $478 vs $272 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Herndon, VA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

10:02 10:02 AM

14:02 2:02 PM

4 h ahead of Herndon, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,655

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Herndon, VA Lisbon 5,760 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Herndon, VA
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

Herndon, VA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $3,296 in Herndon, VA, $2,210 in Lisbon – roughly 49% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,944 per month in Herndon, VA and $3,315 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 $1,608 there versus $2,135 in Herndon, VA.

Groceries cost about 75% more in Herndon, VA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $99 in Herndon, VA and $62 in Lisbon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,210, than in Herndon, VA at $3,296. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Herndon, VA 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.

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