Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Albany, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,776 in Albany, NY, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Albany, NY
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Albany, NY Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Albany, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Albany, NY

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Albany, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,776 in Albany, NY.

Lisbon $2,223
Albany, NY $2,776

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $4,419 in Albany, NY.

Lisbon $3,271
Albany, NY $4,419

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $6,061 in Albany, NY.

Lisbon $4,319
Albany, NY $6,061

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 20% less than in Albany, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Albany, NY 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$27.00 $27.00

-38.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$100 $100

-39.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$14.87 $14.87

-24.21%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$6.30 $6.30

-51.43%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$2.71 $2.71

-16.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$2.04 $2.04

-15.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$5.98 $5.98

-43.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$10.40 $10.40

-67.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.05 $1.05

6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$3.21 $3.21

-42.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$7.07 $7.07

-78.36%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$5.10 $5.10

-22.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$16.37 $16.37

-22.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$16.25 $16.25

-51.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$18.60 $18.60

-8.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$4.72 $4.72

-51.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.40 $1.40

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$5.45 $5.45

-66.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$4.77 $4.77

-46.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$3.17 $3.17

-41.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$3.54 $3.54

-42.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$2.34 $2.34

-38.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.95 $1.95

-57.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$15.11 $15.11

-56.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$14.25 $14.25

-60.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$2.07 $2.07

-38.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$3.99 $3.99

-48.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$1.51 $1.51

55.63%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$63.9 $63.9

-30.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$5.13 $5.13

-22.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.36 $1.36

-19.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$29.58 $29.58

-43.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.07 $1.07

113.08%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$36.1K $36.1K

-6.69%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$25.2K $25.2K

55.62%

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

$167 €149

$215 $215

-21.98%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$69.7 $69.7

-73.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$87.9 $87.9

-62.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$38.64 $38.64

19.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$38.03 $38.03

-49.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$14.98 $14.98

-34.31%

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

$677 €602

$1,475 $1,475

-54.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$16.9K $16.9K

0.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$54.2 $54.2

86.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$40.55 $40.55

12.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$111 $111

-9.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$106 $106

15.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$1,440 $1,440

12.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$1,256 $1,256

-4.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$2,882 $2,882

-0.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$2,595 $2,595

-23.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$2,454 $2,454

208.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$2,478 $2,478

73.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$4,245 $4,245

-62.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.66

-42.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Albany, NY: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Albany, NY

$1.3K 45.2% 4.9% $59

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Albany, NY

$451 16.3% 67.5% $182

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Albany, NY

$406 14.6% 67.6% $164

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Albany, NY

$372 13.4% 69.7% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Albany, NY

$140 5.1% 15.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Albany, NY

$69 2.5% 4.4% $2.9

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Albany, NY

$82 3% 30% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $1,440 in Albany, NY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albany, NY pays 167% 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: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $100 in Albany, NY for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $451 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Albany, NY

🕒 Local time

01:15 1:15 AM

20:15 8:15 PM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

101,228

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Albany, NY 5,350 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Albany, NY

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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

Lisbon vs Albany, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Albany, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 167% lower in Albany, NY. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $1,440 in Albany, NY. 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 $61.0 versus $100 in Albany, NY. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $2,776 in Albany, NY – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,776 in Albany, NY, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Albany, NY. 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 $2,223 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Albany, NY 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 25% less than in Albany, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.