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: $3,869 in Jersey City, NJ versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,453 in Jersey City, NJ versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,037 in Jersey City, NJ versus $4,307 in Lisbon.

Living in Jersey City, NJ is roughly 70% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jersey City, NJ 191% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 $19.97

$15.75 €13.74

26.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.3 $98.3

$63.5 €55.3

54.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.98 $13.98

$10.45 €9.11

33.78%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$2.91 €2.54

84.19%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$2.29 €2.00

2.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.50 €1.31

30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.99 $6.99

$3.56 €3.11

96.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.85 $8.85

$3.96 €3.46

123.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.08 €0.94

24.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 $3.85

$1.76 €1.54

118.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.17 $5.17

$1.70 €1.48

204.12%

Eggs

$4.88 $4.88

$3.25 €2.83

50.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.63 $21.63

$13.25 €11.55

63.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.86 $11.86

$7.70 €6.72

54.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.17 $17.17

$15.77 €13.75

8.88%

Apples (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$2.28 €1.99

113.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.66 €1.44

3.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$2.02 €1.76

91.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$2.47 €2.16

72.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.79 €1.56

60.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.07 €1.80

91.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.97 €1.72

20.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$0.83 €0.73

212.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.04 $12.04

$6.55 €5.71

83.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.37 $24.37

$5.57 €4.85

337.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.33 €1.16

27.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.03 $6.03

$3.01 €2.62

100.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.27 €1.98

23.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.9 $93.9

$46.35 €40.41

102.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$4.23 €3.69

-29.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$0.85 €0.74

98.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.74 $23.74

$18.83 €16.41

26.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.02 €1.76

-56.93%

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

$34.5K $34.5K

$35.0K €30.5K

-1.20%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$39.6K €34.6K

-36.77%

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

$126 $126

$148 €129

-14.75%

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

$45.85 $45.85

$20.52 €17.89

123.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$39.52 €34.46

67.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$78.5 $78.5

$48.17 €42.00

62.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.18 $43.18

$18.39 €16.03

134.80%

Cinema Ticket

$17.17 $17.17

$9.10 €7.93

88.68%

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

$2,214 $2,214

$615 €536

260.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$16.3K €14.2K

44.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.6 $74.6

$102 €88.6

-26.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.5 $62.5

$42.09 €36.69

48.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.6 $73.6

$92.3 €80.5

-20.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$122 €106

10.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,256 $3,256

$1,612 €1,405

102.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,425 $2,425

$1,254 €1,093

93.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,132 $6,132

$3,069 €2,676

99.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,718 $3,718

$2,037 €1,776

82.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,721 $7,721

$7,751 €6,757

-0.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,612 $5,612

$4,286 €3,737

30.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,206 $6,206

$1,602 €1,396

287.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

3.81

73.75%

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

Last update for Jersey City, NJ: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,256 in Jersey City, NJ and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jersey City, NJ pays 287% 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: $98.0 in Jersey City, NJ vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $466 vs $267 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, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 70% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 287% 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: $3,256 in Jersey City, NJ versus $1,612 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 103% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $2,214 in Jersey City, NJ versus $615 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 70% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.