Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Allentown, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,765 in Allentown, PA, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Allentown, PA, United States
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Allentown, PA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,765
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Allentown, PA

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 Allentown, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $2,765 in Allentown, PA, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Allentown, PA $2,765

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $3,896 in Allentown, PA, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Allentown, PA $3,896

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $5,027 in Allentown, PA, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Allentown, PA $5,027

Lisbon is about 20% cheaper than Allentown, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Allentown, PA sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Allentown, PA by 103%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Allentown, PA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$19.81 $19.81
-15.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$91.8 $91.8
-32.74%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$12.23 $12.23
-7.11%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$5.60 $5.60
-46.96%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$2.62 $2.62
-12.60%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.57 $1.57
10.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$4.92 $4.92
-30.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$5.84 $5.84
-43.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Allentown, PA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.19 $1.19
-2.52%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$2.10 $2.10
-9.05%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$2.43 $2.43
-37.86%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$3.65 $3.65
10.14%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$15.62 $15.62
-17.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$8.37 $8.37
-7.17%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$18.95 $18.95
-6.28%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$6.78 $6.78
-66.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$1.65 $1.65
4.85%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$2.86 $2.86
-34.97%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$6.65 $6.65
-61.05%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$2.68 $2.68
-32.09%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$3.30 $3.30
-40.30%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$2.23 $2.23
-34.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$2.53 $2.53
-71.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$11.71 $11.71
-43.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$14.72 $14.72
-61.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.33 $2.33
-41.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$2.71 $2.71
-21.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Allentown, PA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$2.55 $2.55
-8.63%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$61.0 $61.0
-26.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$2.94 $2.94
30.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$2.20 $2.20
-51.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$41.24 $41.24
-60.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.10 $1.10
100.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$27.2K $27.2K
25.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$26.5K $26.5K
46.24%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Allentown, PA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$188 $188
-14.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$54.2 $54.2
-66.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$70.6 $70.6
-53.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Allentown, PA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$30.16 $30.16
47.71%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$25.42 $25.42
-24.86%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$13.03 $13.03
-26.32%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Allentown, PA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$1,204 $1,204
-44.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$11.8K $11.8K
49.48%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Allentown, PA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$37.88 $37.88
169.32%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$51.3 $51.3
-13.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$89.7 $89.7
9.77%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$118 $118
4.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Allentown, PA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$1,668 $1,668
-3.55%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$1,470 $1,470
-19.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$2,481 $2,481
13.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$2,048 $2,048
-1.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$2,166 $2,166
261.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$1,905 $1,905
140.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Allentown, PA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$3,074 $3,074
-48.76%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.43
-40.12%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Allentown, PA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Allentown, PA
$1.5K 23.5% $280
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Allentown, PA
$392 43.8% $119
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Allentown, PA
$315 30% $73
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Allentown, PA
$313 47.3% $101
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Allentown, PA
$134 19.5% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Allentown, PA
$56 11.8% $7.5
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Allentown, PA
$85 34.7% $22

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,668 in Allentown, PA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 95% higher in Allentown, PA. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $92 in Allentown, PA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $392 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇺🇸 Allentown, PA
🕒 Local time
23:02 11:02 PM
19:02 7:02 PM
4 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
120,443
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

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

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Allentown, PA 5,540 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Allentown, PA

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
Lisbon vs Allentown, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Allentown, PA?
Allentown, PA costs about 25% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. 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 Lisbon and in Allentown, PA?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $4,147 in Allentown, PA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lisbon compared to Allentown, PA?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,668 in Allentown, PA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
How expensive is transport in Lisbon compared to Allentown, PA?
Public transport costs about 27% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
How do childcare costs compare in Lisbon and in Allentown, PA?
Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Lisbon and $1,204 in Allentown, PA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Lisbon or to Allentown, PA?
If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Allentown, PA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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