Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jersey City, NJ and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,625 in Jersey City, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

174

Cost of Living Index in Jersey City, NJ
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Jersey City, NJ Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Jersey City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,625

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,625 in Jersey City, NJ versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Jersey City, NJ $3,625
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,285 in Jersey City, NJ versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Jersey City, NJ $5,285
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,944 in Jersey City, NJ versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Jersey City, NJ $6,944
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Jersey City, NJ is roughly 64% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jersey City, NJ 166% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.75 $24.75

$16.65 €14.96

48.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.7 $98.7

$61.7 €55.5

59.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 $10.98

$11.36 €10.20

-3.35%

Cappuccino

$5.58 $5.58

$2.97 €2.67

87.88%

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

$2.23 $2.23

$2.29 €2.06

-2.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.74 €1.56

-11.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.10 $8.10

$3.40 €3.06

138.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.77 $7.77

$3.31 €2.97

134.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.16 €1.04

14.66%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 $4.17

$1.91 €1.72

118.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.42 $7.42

$1.51 €1.36

391.39%

Eggs

$5.86 $5.86

$4.02 €3.61

45.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 $12.46

$12.94 €11.62

-3.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.03 $12.03

$7.77 €6.99

54.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.95 $16.95

$17.76 €15.96

-4.56%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$2.30 €2.07

131.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.73 €1.56

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$1.86 €1.67

230.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$2.59 €2.33

143.24%

Potato (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$1.82 €1.64

210.99%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$1.97 €1.77

95.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.47 €1.32

89.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$0.72 €0.65

311.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.88 $11.88

$6.58 €5.92

80.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.89 $24.89

$5.61 €5.04

343.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.36 €1.22

24.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 $5.30

$2.14 €1.92

147.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.33 €2.10

32.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.5 $87.5

$44.68 €40.14

95.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.85 €3.46

-24.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.07 €0.96

94.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.92 $23.92

$16.46 €14.79

45.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.20 €1.98

-49.09%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$34.2K €30.7K

-17.73%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$38.7K €34.8K

-31.26%

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

$209 $209

$161 €145

29.64%

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

$73.0 $73.0

$18.41 €16.54

296.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$32.74 €29.41

102.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 $55.8

$44.55 €40.03

25.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.70 $43.70

$19.10 €17.16

128.80%

Cinema Ticket

$14.21 $14.21

$9.60 €8.62

48.02%

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

$2,414 $2,414

$668 €600

261.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$17.6K €15.8K

32.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.18 $41.18

$102 €91.7

-59.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 $57.6

$44.46 €39.95

29.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 $76.7

$98.5 €88.5

-22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 $154

$124 €111

24.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,608 €1,445

128.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,073 $2,073

$1,190 €1,069

74.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,889 $5,889

$2,812 €2,527

109.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,397 $3,397

$2,013 €1,809

68.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,299 $8,299

$7,839 €7,043

5.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,602 $5,602

$4,576 €4,111

22.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,101 $6,101

$1,575 €1,415

287.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.85

75.32%

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

Last update for Jersey City, NJ: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jersey City, NJ

$2.1K 57.2%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 42.6% $883

Groceries & Markets

Jersey City, NJ

$490 13.5%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 44.4% $217

Eating Out

Jersey City, NJ

$369 10.2%

Lisbon

$243 11% 34.3% $126

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jersey City, NJ

$348 9.6%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 39% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Jersey City, NJ

$148 4.1%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 11.9% $18

Getting Around

Jersey City, NJ

$113 3.1%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 44.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Jersey City, NJ

$84 2.3%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 24.3% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,670 in Jersey City, NJ and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jersey City, NJ pays about 3.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $99 in Jersey City, NJ vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jersey City, NJ

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

07:06 7:06 AM

11:06 11:06 AM

4 h ahead of Jersey City, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

292,449

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

On the map

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Between locations

Jersey City, NJ Lisbon 5,430 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Jersey City, NJ
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

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

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 64% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Jersey City, NJ is about 3.9 times higher, 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: $3,670 in Jersey City, NJ versus $1,608 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 49% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,414 in Jersey City, NJ versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,625 in Jersey City, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Jersey City, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.