Cost of Living Comparison Between Jersey City, NJ and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Jersey City, NJ and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,881 in Jersey City, NJ versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,379 in Jersey City, NJ versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,878 in Jersey City, NJ versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Jersey City, NJ is roughly 71% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jersey City, NJ 181% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.32 $25.32

$17.55 €15.12

44.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$64.5 €55.6

58.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 $10.85

$11.65 €10.04

-6.87%

Cappuccino

$5.46 $5.46

$3.26 €2.81

67.48%

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

$2.21 $2.21

$2.49 €2.15

-11.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.67 €1.44

-7.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$3.47 €2.99

134.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.81 $7.81

$3.58 €3.08

118.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.18 €1.02

7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.91 $3.91

$1.95 €1.68

100.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$1.56 €1.35

393.59%

Eggs

$5.74 $5.74

$4.01 €3.46

43.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.39 $12.39

$13.27 €11.44

-6.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.88 $11.88

$8.42 €7.26

41.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.55 $17.55

$18.23 €15.72

-3.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$2.32 €2.00

131.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.73 €1.49

Oranges (1kg)

$6.40 $6.40

$1.93 €1.67

231.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.64 €2.27

85.98%

Potato (1kg)

$5.39 $5.39

$1.90 €1.64

183.68%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$2.11 €1.82

82.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.44 €1.24

101.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$0.80 €0.69

258.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.50 $11.50

$7.01 €6.04

64.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.02 $24.02

$5.92 €5.11

305.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.36 €1.18

27.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.44 $5.44

$2.15 €1.85

153.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.38 €2.05

27.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 $103

$46.22 €39.85

121.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$4.19 €3.61

-29.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.10 €0.95

84.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.96 $23.96

$17.26 €14.88

38.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$2.25 €1.94

-52.89%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$34.5K €29.7K

5.18%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$41.6K €35.9K

-38.64%

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

$208 $208

$171 €147

22.00%

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

$77.3 $77.3

$19.01 €16.38

306.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 $66.0

$34.28 €29.55

92.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.6 $56.6

$49.65 €42.80

13.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.42 $43.42

$19.51 €16.81

122.55%

Cinema Ticket

$14.53 $14.53

$10.10 €8.71

43.86%

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

$2,288 $2,288

$699 €603

227.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$17.8K €15.3K

30.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.29 $41.29

$105 €90.2

-60.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 $56.7

$47.97 €41.35

18.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 $74.9

$102 €87.8

-26.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 $156

$128 €111

21.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,380 $3,380

$1,661 €1,432

103.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,229 $2,229

$1,228 €1,059

81.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,574 $5,574

$2,915 €2,513

91.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,244 $3,244

$2,023 €1,744

60.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,790 $7,790

$8,129 €7,007

-4.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,619 $5,619

$4,635 €3,996

21.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,355 $6,355

$1,619 €1,396

292.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

3.78

63.23%

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

Last update for Jersey City, NJ: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,380 in Jersey City, NJ and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jersey City, NJ pays 292% 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: $102 in Jersey City, NJ vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $480 vs $281 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

Jersey City, NJ vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 71% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 292% higher in Jersey City, NJ, 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: $3,380 in Jersey City, NJ versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 122% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,288 in Jersey City, NJ versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

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 Jersey City, NJ, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Jersey City, NJ 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 71% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.