Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lancaster, PA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,599 in Lancaster, PA, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

126

Cost of Living Index in Lancaster, PA
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Lancaster, PA Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lancaster, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,599

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,599 in Lancaster, PA versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Lancaster, PA $2,599
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,784 in Lancaster, PA versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Lancaster, PA $3,784
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,968 in Lancaster, PA versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Lancaster, PA $4,968
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Lancaster, PA is roughly 18% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lancaster, PA 92% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.42 $22.42

$17.04 €15.15

31.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.1 $66.1

$62.3 €55.4

6.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 $12.13

$11.02 €9.80

10.07%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$3.12 €2.78

71.47%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$2.27 €2.02

5.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.74 €1.55

19.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 $5.87

$3.42 €3.04

71.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.86 $6.86

$3.74 €3.33

83.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.17 €1.04

-4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.86 €1.66

52.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$1.54 €1.37

155.84%

Eggs

$4.55 $4.55

$4.06 €3.61

12.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.75 $13.75

$12.91 €11.49

6.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.10 $9.10

$7.90 €7.03

15.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.60 $14.60

$17.64 €15.69

-17.23%

Apples (1kg)

$10.16 $10.16

$2.26 €2.01

349.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.75 €1.55

-16.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$1.89 €1.68

159.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$2.56 €2.27

94.92%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.85 €1.64

16.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.97 €1.75

38.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.45 €1.29

68.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.77 €0.69

185.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.00 $12.00

$6.71 €5.97

78.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.97 $11.97

$5.67 €5.04

111.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.37 €1.22

91.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.11 €1.88

49.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.32 €2.07

-25.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.78 $41.78

$44.43 €39.52

-5.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.95 €3.51

25.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.05 €0.93

191.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.67 $34.67

$17.15 €15.26

102.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.19 €1.95

-53.88%

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

$33.6K $33.6K

$33.8K €30.0K

-0.60%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$38.3K €34.0K

-31.07%

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

$276 $276

$164 €146

68.44%

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

$68.0 $68.0

$18.48 €16.43

267.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.2 $78.2

$32.96 €29.32

137.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.66 $47.66

$45.87 €40.80

3.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.60 $45.60

$18.68 €16.61

144.11%

Cinema Ticket

$16.75 $16.75

$9.75 €8.67

71.79%

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

$566 $566

$684 €608

-17.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$66.0K $66.0K

$17.6K €15.7K

274.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.7 $59.7

$104 €92.3

-42.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.15 $49.15

$46.20 €41.09

6.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 $95.0

$99.7 €88.7

-4.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$125 €111

-17.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 $1,371

$1,589 €1,414

-13.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 $1,148

$1,169 €1,040

-1.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,119 $2,119

$2,851 €2,536

-25.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,875 $1,875

$1,993 €1,773

-5.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,350 $2,350

$7,793 €6,932

-69.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,102 $2,102

$4,418 €3,930

-52.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,999 $3,999

$1,600 €1,423

149.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.26

3.85

62.60%

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

Last update for Lancaster, PA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lancaster, PA

$1.1K 44.2%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 1.8% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lancaster, PA

$422 16.2%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 49% $207

Groceries & Markets

Lancaster, PA

$400 15.4%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 31.7% $127

Eating Out

Lancaster, PA

$341 13.1%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 27.4% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Lancaster, PA

$138 5.3%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 22.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Lancaster, PA

$81 3.1%

Lisbon

$65 3% 19.4% $16

Getting Around

Lancaster, PA

$69 2.7%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 8.7% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,371 in Lancaster, PA and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lancaster, PA pays 150% 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: $66.0 in Lancaster, PA vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lancaster, PA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

20:43 8:43 PM

01:43 1:43 AM

5 h ahead of Lancaster, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

59,322

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

Lancaster, PA Lisbon 5,630 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lancaster, PA
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

Lancaster, PA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 150% higher in Lancaster, PA, 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: $1,371 in Lancaster, PA versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $66.0 in Lancaster, PA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,599 per month in Lancaster, PA versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,599 in Lancaster, PA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Lancaster, PA. 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 Lancaster, PA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lancaster, PA 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 18% less than in Lancaster, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.