Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, MO and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,699 in Houston, MO, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Houston, MO
🇺🇸 United States
$2,699
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,699 in Houston, MO versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Houston, MO $2,699
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,960 in Houston, MO versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Houston, MO $3,960
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,221 in Houston, MO versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Houston, MO $5,221
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Houston, MO is roughly 21% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houston, MO 100% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Houston, MO
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.08 $18.08
$16.50 €14.67
9.58%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$77.5 $77.5
$61.3 €54.5
26.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.09 $12.09
$11.27 €10.03
7.28%
Cappuccino
$5.18 $5.18
$3.06 €2.72
69.28%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$2.26 €2.01
7.08%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.75 $1.75
$1.73 €1.54
1.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.60 $5.60
$3.39 €3.02
65.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.20 $7.20
$3.40 €3.02
111.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Houston, MO
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.24 $1.24
$1.12 €1.00
10.71%
White Bread (500g)
$3.80 $3.80
$1.86 €1.65
104.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.71 $5.71
$1.53 €1.36
273.20%
Eggs
$3.90 $3.90
$3.96 €3.53
-1.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.29 $13.29
$12.76 €11.35
4.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.41 $15.41
$7.90 €7.02
95.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.59 $20.59
$16.97 €15.09
21.33%
Apples (1kg)
$8.21 $8.21
$2.27 €2.02
261.67%
Banana (1kg)
$2.39 $2.39
$1.75 €1.55
36.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.55 $5.55
$1.85 €1.64
200.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.26 $5.26
$2.57 €2.28
104.67%
Potato (1kg)
$4.32 $4.32
$1.86 €1.65
132.26%
Onion (1kg)
$4.96 $4.96
$2.02 €1.80
145.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.83 $2.83
$1.44 €1.28
96.53%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.82 $2.82
$0.82 €0.73
243.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.24 $8.24
$6.56 €5.83
25.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.19 $15.19
$5.62 €5.00
170.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.83 $2.83
$1.28 €1.14
121.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.22 $3.22
$2.07 €1.84
55.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Houston, MO
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.90 $1.90
$2.35 €2.09
-19.15%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.18 €39.30
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.40 $3.40
$3.99 €3.55
-14.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.59 $1.59
$1.09 €0.97
45.87%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$39.87 $39.87
$16.64 €14.81
139.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$2.28 €2.03
-55.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.7K $35.7K
$33.7K €30.0K
6.09%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K $24.5K
$39.3K €35.0K
-37.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Houston, MO
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$244 $244
$167 €149
45.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$68.3 $68.3
$18.80 €16.72
263.09%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$74.7 $74.7
$33.09 €29.43
125.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Houston, MO
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.02 $44.02
$46.01 €40.93
-4.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.19 €17.07
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.93 $13.93
$9.84 €8.75
41.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Houston, MO
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,425 $1,425
$677 €602
110.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.6K $23.6K
$16.9K €15.1K
39.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Houston, MO
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.8 $58.8
$101 €90.1
-41.91%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.41 $39.41
$45.76 €40.70
-13.88%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.1 $87.1
$100.0 €88.9
-12.85%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$119 $119
$123 €109
-2.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Houston, MO
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,347 $1,347
$1,614 €1,436
-16.54%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,292 $1,292
$1,197 €1,065
7.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,488 $2,488
$2,862 €2,545
-13.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,150 $2,150
$1,990 €1,770
8.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,726 $2,726
$7,577 €6,740
-64.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,291 $2,291
$4,307 €3,831
-46.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Houston, MO
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,588 €1,412
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.72
3.85
74.55%

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

Last update for Houston, MO: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Houston, MO
$1.3K
Lisbon
$1.2K 7.4% $95
Groceries & Markets
Houston, MO
$490
Lisbon
$269 45.1% $221
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Houston, MO
$387
Lisbon
$219 43.2% $167
Eating Out
Houston, MO
$302
Lisbon
$242 19.8% $60
Clothing & Footwear
Houston, MO
$137
Lisbon
$166 21.4% $29
Sport & Entertainment
Houston, MO
$72
Lisbon
$66 8.6% $6.2
Getting Around
Houston, MO
$19 *
Lisbon
$63 232% $44

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,347 in Houston, MO and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Houston, MO vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Houston, MO
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
02:39 2:39 AM
08:39 8:39 AM
6 h ahead of Houston, MO
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,304,580
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
  • Houston, MO Lisbon 6,990 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Houston, MO
  • 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
Houston, MO vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lisbon cheaper than Houston, MO?
Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 21% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You'd need roughly $4,049 in Houston, MO and $3,335 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
What is the rent difference between Houston, MO and Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,347 in Houston, MO versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $1,425 in Houston, MO versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Is eating out cheaper in Houston, MO or in Lisbon?
Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $78.0 in Houston, MO. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Houston, MO or in Lisbon?
At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,699 in Houston, MO, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Houston, MO. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Houston, MO or Lisbon more family-friendly?
For families, Lisbon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Houston, MO, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Houston, MO or Lisbon?
Safety-wise, Houston, MO 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Houston, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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