Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Knoxville, TN and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,627 in Knoxville, TN versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,703 in Knoxville, TN versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,779 in Knoxville, TN versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Knoxville, TN is roughly 17% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Knoxville, TN 96% above, Lisbon 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 $17.69

$15.73 €13.42

12.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$63.2 €53.9

33.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.02 $10.02

$10.32 €8.80

-2.91%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$2.81 €2.40

107.47%

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

$2.46 $2.46

$2.33 €1.99

5.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.51 €1.29

55.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.36 $6.36

$3.37 €2.87

88.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.27 $6.27

$3.91 €3.34

60.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.08 €0.92

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.75 €1.49

115.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$1.75 €1.50

129.14%

Eggs

$3.77 $3.77

$3.10 €2.64

21.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.07 $10.07

$13.28 €11.33

-24.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.51 $8.51

$7.85 €6.70

8.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.47 $15.47

$16.05 €13.69

-3.61%

Apples (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$2.39 €2.04

162.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.72 €1.47

-19.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.97 €1.68

31.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$2.55 €2.17

111.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.79 €1.53

22.91%

Onion (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.97 €1.68

130.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.96 €1.67

22.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.84 €0.71

165.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.09 $9.09

$6.82 €5.82

33.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$5.85 €4.99

153.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.38 €1.18

31.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.92 €2.49

-2.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.29 €1.95

-55.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.43 $29.43

$46.88 €39.99

-37.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.12 €3.51

20.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.81 €0.69

86.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.48 $29.48

$18.94 €16.16

55.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$2.09 €1.78

-59.33%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$35.1K €30.0K

-13.76%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$39.7K €33.9K

-33.18%

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

$240 $240

$150 €128

60.78%

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

$53.5 $53.5

$20.49 €17.48

161.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$39.15 €33.40

75.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.13 $35.13

$49.65 €42.35

-29.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.38 $25.38

$18.47 €15.76

37.41%

Cinema Ticket

$14.27 $14.27

$9.20 €7.84

55.11%

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

$1,140 $1,140

$624 €533

82.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K $20.6K

$15.9K €13.6K

29.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$102 €87.2

-45.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 $59.2

$40.88 €34.87

44.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$95.7 €81.6

13.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$121 €103

-0.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,655 $1,655

$1,653 €1,410

0.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$1,233 €1,051

4.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,168 $3,168

$3,043 €2,596

4.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,805 $1,805

$2,059 €1,756

-12.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,694 $4,694

$7,879 €6,720

-40.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,222 $2,222

$4,303 €3,671

-48.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,511 $3,511

$1,566 €1,336

124.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

3.81

72.97%

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

Last update for Knoxville, TN: April 22, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,655 in Knoxville, TN and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Knoxville, TN pays 124% 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: $85 in Knoxville, TN vs $63 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $372 vs $270 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

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.

Knoxville, TN pays 124% more on average, 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: $1,655 in Knoxville, TN versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 38% 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 $63.0 versus $85.0 in Knoxville, TN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,243 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.