Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Albany Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Albany

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,191 in Albany.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $3,263 in Albany.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $4,336 in Albany.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 5% more expensive than in Albany, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Albany 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$14.82 A$21.23

9.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$78.9 A$113

-19.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.77 A$11.13

32.82%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.98 A$5.70

-28.89%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.30 A$3.29

-0.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.66 A$2.38

-4.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$7.34 A$10.51

-53.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$7.03 A$10.07

-42.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.50 A$2.15

-27.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.43 A$3.48

-27.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.98 A$2.83

-11.11%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$4.38 A$6.27

-27.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$8.65 A$12.39

52.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$8.22 A$11.77

-3.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$13.65 A$19.56

13.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.21 A$4.59

-26.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.83 A$4.06

-39.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.85 A$4.08

-29.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.99 A$5.72

-39.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.44 A$3.50

-27.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$2.10 A$3.00

-3.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.11 A$3.02

-9.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.57 A$2.25

-45.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$30.66 A$43.93

-78.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$14.73 A$21.10

-62.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$4.53 A$6.49

-70.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$5.25 A$7.52

-43.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.57 A$3.68

-11.28%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$65.3 A$93.5

-29.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.67 A$5.26

15.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.59 A$2.28

-49.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$34.17 A$48.96

-46.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.18 A$1.69

76.27%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$29.1K A$41.7K

19.01%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$22.1K A$31.6K

77.49%

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

$148 €130

$182 A$261

-18.63%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$26.98 A$38.66

-24.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$35.03 A$50.2

12.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$49.70 A$71.2

-3.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$15.86 A$22.72

17.28%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$12.99 A$18.62

-29.02%

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

$616 €539

$1,608 A$2,304

-61.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$11.8K A$16.9K

39.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$67.4 A$96.5

52.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$49.58 A$71.0

-15.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$97.5 A$140

-2.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$107 A$153

14.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$1,268 A$1,816

28.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$1,064 A$1,524

15.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,984 A$2,842

56.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$1,666 A$2,386

21.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$5,365 A$7,687

45.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$4,921 A$7,050

-10.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$2,596 A$3,719

-38.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.34

-39.91%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Albany: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $1,268 in Albany. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Albany pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $79.0 in Albany for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $338 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

Lisbon vs Albany: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Albany wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Albany the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Albany. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $1,268 in Albany. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $2,191 in Albany – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Albany runs roughly 42% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,191 in Albany versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Albany but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Albany the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Albany delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,191 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Albany hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Albany 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 Albany gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.