Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,576 in Knoxville, TN, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Knoxville, TN
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Knoxville, TN Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Knoxville, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,576

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,576 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Knoxville, TN $2,576
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,786 in Knoxville, TN versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Knoxville, TN $3,786
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,997 in Knoxville, TN versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Knoxville, TN $4,997
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Knoxville, TN is roughly 17% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Knoxville, TN 90% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.71 $17.71

$17.04 €15.15

3.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.6 $74.6

$62.3 €55.4

19.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.86 $9.86

$11.02 €9.80

-10.53%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$3.12 €2.78

72.44%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$2.27 €2.02

24.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.74 €1.55

58.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 $6.36

$3.42 €3.04

85.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 $6.60

$3.74 €3.33

76.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.17 €1.04

-9.40%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$1.86 €1.66

86.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$1.54 €1.37

196.10%

Eggs

$4.46 $4.46

$4.06 €3.61

9.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$12.91 €11.49

-21.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.22 $9.22

$7.90 €7.03

16.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.91 $14.91

$17.64 €15.69

-15.48%

Apples (1kg)

$7.04 $7.04

$2.26 €2.01

211.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.55 $1.55

$1.75 €1.55

-11.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.89 €1.68

51.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$2.56 €2.27

117.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.85 €1.64

16.76%

Onion (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.97 €1.75

121.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.45 €1.29

53.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.77 €0.69

184.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.99 $8.99

$6.71 €5.97

33.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$5.67 €5.04

168.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.37 €1.22

39.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.11 €1.88

48.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.32 €2.07

-56.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.58 $29.58

$44.43 €39.52

-33.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.95 €3.51

29.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.05 €0.93

43.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.87 $29.87

$17.15 €15.26

74.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.19 €1.95

-53.88%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$33.8K €30.0K

-17.52%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$38.3K €34.0K

-28.70%

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

$223 $223

$164 €146

36.32%

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

$74.4 $74.4

$18.48 €16.43

302.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 $53.1

$32.96 €29.32

61.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.37 $29.37

$45.87 €40.80

-35.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.90 $21.90

$18.68 €16.61

17.24%

Cinema Ticket

$15.20 $15.20

$9.75 €8.67

55.90%

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

$1,246 $1,246

$684 €608

82.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$17.6K €15.7K

38.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$104 €92.3

-50.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.53 $45.53

$46.20 €41.09

-1.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$99.7 €88.7

11.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$125 €111

-1.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,811 $1,811

$1,589 €1,414

13.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 $1,284

$1,169 €1,040

9.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,901 $2,901

$2,851 €2,536

1.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,144 $2,144

$1,993 €1,773

7.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,681 $4,681

$7,793 €6,932

-39.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,243 $2,243

$4,418 €3,930

-49.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,622 $3,622

$1,600 €1,423

126.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

3.85

72.47%

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

Last update for Knoxville, TN: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Knoxville, TN

$1.3K 49.8%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 9% $115

Groceries & Markets

Knoxville, TN

$383 14.9%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 28.7% $110

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Knoxville, TN

$351 13.6%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 38.6% $136

Eating Out

Knoxville, TN

$303 11.8%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 18.4% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Knoxville, TN

$149 5.8%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 13.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Knoxville, TN

$60 2.3%

Lisbon

$65 3% 9.4% $5.6

Getting Around

Knoxville, TN

$46 1.8%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 35.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,811 in Knoxville, TN and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 126% 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: $75.0 in Knoxville, TN vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $383 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Knoxville, TN

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

07:01 7:01 AM

5 h ahead of Knoxville, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

190,740

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Knoxville, TN Lisbon 6,430 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Knoxville, TN
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

Knoxville, TN vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Knoxville, TN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 126% higher in Knoxville, TN, 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: $1,811 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Knoxville, TN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $75.0 in Knoxville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,576 in Knoxville, TN, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Knoxville, TN. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,202 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Knoxville, TN 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 17% less than in Knoxville, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.