Cost of Living Comparison Between Houghton, MI and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Houghton, MI and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,541 in Houghton, MI versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,613 in Houghton, MI versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,686 in Houghton, MI versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Houghton, MI is roughly 11% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houghton, MI 90% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.16 $13.16

$16.19 €14.18

-18.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.31 $39.31

$63.3 €55.5

-37.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.01 $10.01

$10.32 €9.04

-3.00%

Cappuccino

$4.09 $4.09

$2.83 €2.48

44.52%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$2.29 €2.01

16.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.58 €1.38

-1.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.40 €2.98

74.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 $6.97

$4.03 €3.53

72.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.09 €0.96

-0.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.75 €1.53

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$1.76 €1.54

143.75%

Eggs

$4.11 $4.11

$3.17 €2.77

29.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.48 $12.48

$13.19 €11.56

-5.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.34 $11.34

$7.97 €6.98

42.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.62 $15.62

$15.53 €13.60

0.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.37 €2.07

108.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.71 €1.49

-8.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$2.01 €1.76

116.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$2.43 €2.13

90.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.76 €1.54

63.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.03 €1.78

41.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.92 €1.68

5.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$0.85 €0.74

155.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.63 $9.63

$6.58 €5.76

46.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.17 $15.17

$5.58 €4.89

171.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.33 €1.17

34.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.97 €2.60

14.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.28 €1.99

-11.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$4.23 €3.70

-17.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.81 €0.71

96.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.10 $29.10

$18.44 €16.15

57.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$2.08 €1.82

-59.62%

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

$29.2K $29.2K

$34.7K €30.4K

-15.82%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$39.2K €34.3K

-35.80%

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

$188 $188

$148 €130

27.13%

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

$52.3 $52.3

$20.46 €17.92

155.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$39.56 €34.64

74.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.21 $43.21

$47.99 €42.03

-9.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$13.77 $13.77

$9.22 €8.08

49.35%

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

$1,304 $1,304

$616 €540

111.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$16.4K €14.4K

44.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 $51.5

$103 €90.0

-49.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.33 $40.33

$41.74 €36.55

-3.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$94.8 €83.0

-9.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$122 €107

-7.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,585 $1,585

$1,633 €1,430

-2.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,360 $1,360

$1,232 €1,079

10.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,594 $2,594

$3,098 €2,713

-16.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,211 $2,211

$2,031 €1,779

8.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,591 $1,591

$7,831 €6,858

-79.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,540 $1,540

$4,389 €3,844

-64.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,610 $2,610

$1,607 €1,408

62.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

3.81

70.87%

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

Last update for Houghton, MI: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,585 in Houghton, MI and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Houghton, MI pays 62% 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: $39.00 in Houghton, MI vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $390 vs $267, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Houghton, MI vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 62% higher in Houghton, MI, 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: $1,585 in Houghton, MI versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Houghton, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,541 per month in Houghton, MI versus $2,291 in Lisbon – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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.

For families, Lisbon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Houghton, MI, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Houghton, MI 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 11% less than in Houghton, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.