Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Las Cruces, NM and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Cruces, NM: $2,078 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Las Cruces, NM, United States
Lisbon, Portugal
Las Cruces, NM
🇺🇸 United States
$2,078
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,078 per month in Las Cruces, NM vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Las Cruces, NM $2,078
  • Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $3,034 per month in Las Cruces, NM vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Las Cruces, NM $3,034
  • Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $3,991 per month in Las Cruces, NM vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Las Cruces, NM $3,991
  • Lisbon $4,341

Las Cruces, NM is about 6% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Las Cruces, NM and Lisbon sit above the global median – Las Cruces, NM by 53%, Lisbon by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Las Cruces, NM
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.17 $17.17
$16.65 €14.95
3.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.89 $44.89
$61.7 €55.5
-27.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.92 $11.92
$11.36 €10.20
4.93%
Cappuccino
$5.78 $5.78
$2.97 €2.67
94.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 $2.38
$2.29 €2.06
3.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 $2.15
$1.74 €1.56
23.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.49 $6.49
$3.40 €3.06
90.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.13 $9.13
$3.31 €2.97
175.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Las Cruces, NM
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.84 $0.84
$1.16 €1.04
-27.59%
White Bread (500g)
$3.48 $3.48
$1.91 €1.72
82.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.57 $3.57
$1.51 €1.36
136.42%
Eggs
$4.63 $4.63
$4.02 €3.61
15.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.25 $13.25
$12.94 €11.62
2.40%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.14 $12.14
$7.77 €6.98
56.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.48 $17.48
$17.76 €15.95
-1.58%
Apples (1kg)
$4.23 $4.23
$2.30 €2.07
83.91%
Banana (1kg)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.73 €1.56
17.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.46 $3.46
$1.86 €1.67
86.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.93 $3.93
$2.59 €2.33
51.74%
Potato (1kg)
$2.23 $2.23
$1.82 €1.64
22.53%
Onion (1kg)
$2.37 $2.37
$1.97 €1.77
20.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.81 $1.81
$1.47 €1.32
23.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 $1.91
$0.72 €0.65
165.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.79 $10.79
$6.58 €5.91
63.98%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.29 $15.29
$5.61 €5.04
172.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.44 $2.44
$1.36 €1.22
79.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.51 $3.51
$2.14 €1.92
64.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Las Cruces, NM
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.33 €2.10
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.68 €40.14
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.36 $2.36
$3.85 €3.46
-38.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.39 $2.39
$1.07 €0.96
123.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$16.46 €14.79
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.97 $0.97
$2.20 €1.98
-55.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K $27.6K
$34.2K €30.7K
-19.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.7K $24.7K
$38.7K €34.8K
-36.31%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Las Cruces, NM
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$174 $174
$161 €145
7.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.3 $58.3
$18.41 €16.54
216.51%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$89.7 $89.7
$32.74 €29.41
174.10%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Las Cruces, NM
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$43.53 $43.53
$44.55 €40.02
-2.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$10.77 $10.77
$19.10 €17.16
-43.61%
Cinema Ticket
$10.05 $10.05
$9.60 €8.62
4.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Las Cruces, NM
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$672 $672
$668 €600
0.64%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$17.6K €15.8K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Las Cruces, NM
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.9 $59.9
$102 €91.6
-41.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$31.94 $31.94
$44.46 €39.94
-28.16%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.6 $83.6
$98.5 €88.5
-15.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$124 €111
-16.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Las Cruces, NM
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$883 $883
$1,608 €1,445
-45.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$854 $854
$1,190 €1,069
-28.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,562 $1,562
$2,812 €2,526
-44.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,431 $1,431
$2,013 €1,808
-28.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,260 $2,260
$7,839 €7,042
-71.17%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,875 $1,875
$4,576 €4,110
-59.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Las Cruces, NM
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,507 $3,507
$1,575 €1,415
122.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.36
3.85
65.19%

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

Last update for Las Cruces, NM: 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
Las Cruces, NM
$854
Lisbon
$1.2K 39.3% $336
Groceries & Markets
Las Cruces, NM
$387
Lisbon
$272 29.7% $115
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Las Cruces, NM
$322
Lisbon
$212 34% $110
Eating Out
Las Cruces, NM
$311
Lisbon
$243 22.1% $69
Clothing & Footwear
Las Cruces, NM
$125
Lisbon
$166 32.4% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Las Cruces, NM
$64
Lisbon
$64 0.2% $0.1
Getting Around
Las Cruces, NM
$14 *
Lisbon
$63 342% $49

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $883 in Las Cruces, NM versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Las Cruces, NM are about 2.2 times higher, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Las Cruces, NM versus $62 in Lisbon. Groceries tell a different story – $387 in Las Cruces, NM vs $272 in Lisbon – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Las Cruces, NM
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
17:07 5:07 PM
23:07 11:07 PM
6 h ahead of Las Cruces, NM
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
111,385
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Las Cruces, NM Lisbon 8,420 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Las Cruces, NM
  • 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
Las Cruces, NM vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Las Cruces, NM or Lisbon?
Lisbon costs about 6% more than Las Cruces, NM, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Las Cruces, NM and in Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,117 per month in Las Cruces, NM and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Las Cruces, NM or Lisbon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Las Cruces, NM, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $883 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
How do dining costs compare in Las Cruces, NM and in Lisbon?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $45 in Las Cruces, NM and $62 in Lisbon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Are groceries more expensive in Las Cruces, NM or in Lisbon?
Interestingly, groceries are about 30% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Las Cruces, NM or in Lisbon?
$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,078 in Las Cruces, NM and $2,210 in Lisbon. You’ll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Las Cruces, NM or Lisbon?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,078 in Las Cruces, NM to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Las Cruces, NM vs other spots: cost of living compared

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