Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Amherst, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $2,774 in Amherst, MA, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Amherst, MA
Learn more

Amherst, MA Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Amherst, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,774

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Amherst, MA

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 Amherst, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $2,774 in Amherst, MA.

Lisbon $2,206
Amherst, MA $2,774

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $4,272 in Amherst, MA.

Lisbon $3,276
Amherst, MA $4,272

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $5,770 in Amherst, MA.

Lisbon $4,346
Amherst, MA $5,770

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Amherst, MA 105% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.01

$20.29 $20.29

-16.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.4

$69.2 $69.2

-11.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.78

$9.04 $9.04

21.46%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.72

$4.79 $4.79

-36.33%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$2.58 $2.58

-11.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.98 $1.98

-15.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.06

$6.10 $6.10

-43.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.48

$8.51 $8.51

-54.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.06 $1.06

8.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$3.26 $3.26

-42.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$6.91 $6.91

-78.29%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.66

$4.57 $4.57

-9.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.58

$16.51 $16.51

-21.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.16

$16.09 $16.09

-50.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.93

$18.56 $18.56

-3.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$4.86 $4.86

-53.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.43 $1.43

21.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$3.25 $3.25

-44.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$4.60 $4.60

-41.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$3.26 $3.26

-45.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.72

$3.58 $3.58

-45.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$2.28 $2.28

-35.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$2.04 $2.04

-62.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.93

$10.52 $10.52

-36.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.02

$11.96 $11.96

-52.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.97 $1.97

-34.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.90

$3.83 $3.83

-44.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.28 $1.28

79.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.19

$27.45 $27.45

60.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.55

$3.53 $3.53

12.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.42 $1.42

-54.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.85

$29.72 $29.72

-36.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.99 $0.99

130.30%

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

$33.4K €29.7K

$28.2K $28.2K

18.31%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$26.7K $26.7K

44.03%

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

$158 €141

$213 $213

-25.75%

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

$17.54 €15.62

$57.5 $57.5

-69.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.77

$89.4 $89.4

-65.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.75

$119 $119

-62.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.90

$6.88 $6.88

175.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.53

$10.56 $10.56

-9.28%

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

$674 €600

$1,496 $1,496

-54.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.7K

$16.9K $16.9K

11.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.0

$45.03 $45.03

126.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.87

$39.00 $39.00

17.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.0

$89.4 $89.4

14.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$109 $109

12.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,461

$1,860 $1,860

-11.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,057

$1,356 $1,356

-12.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,515

$3,914 $3,914

-27.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,797

$2,708 $2,708

-25.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,977

$4,091 $4,091

91.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,186

$3,999 $3,999

17.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,502

$4,739 $4,739

-64.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

6.1

-37.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Amherst, MA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Amherst, MA

$1.4K 48.9% 14.2% $169

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Amherst, MA

$436 15.7% 58.7% $161

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Amherst, MA

$313 11.3% 27.5% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Amherst, MA

$360 13% 74% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Amherst, MA

$127 4.6% 24.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Amherst, MA

$140 5.1% 120% $76

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Amherst, MA

$43 1.6% 28.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $1,860 in Amherst, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Amherst, MA pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $69 in Amherst, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $436 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Amherst, MA

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

07:25 7:25 AM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

37,819

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Amherst, MA 5,250 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Amherst, MA

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 Amherst, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is about 20% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and leisure. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 64% lower in Lisbon. 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: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $1,860 in Amherst, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $1,496 in Amherst, MA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Amherst, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Amherst, MA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Amherst, MA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.