Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ashland, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $3,666 in Ashland, MA, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
177

Cost of Living Index in Ashland, MA
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Ashland, MA Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Ashland, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,666

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,206 per month in Lisbon vs $3,666 in Ashland, MA, rent included.

Lisbon $2,206
Ashland, MA $3,666

A couple spends around $3,276 per month in Lisbon vs $4,760 in Ashland, MA, rent included.

Lisbon $3,276
Ashland, MA $4,760

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $5,853 in Ashland, MA, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Ashland, MA $5,853

Lisbon is about 40% cheaper than Ashland, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Ashland, MA sit above the global median – Lisbon by 63%, Ashland, MA by 171%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €14.98

$19.95 $19.95

-15.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.2

$74.3 $74.3

-17.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.75

$12.89 $12.89

-14.82%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.71

$5.09 $5.09

-40.08%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$2.87 $2.87

-20.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.49

$2.54 $2.54

-33.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.05

$5.89 $5.89

-41.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.47

$8.26 $8.26

-52.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.01 $1.01

13.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$4.56 $4.56

-58.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.33

$16.38 $16.38

-90.84%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.66

$6.09 $6.09

-32.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.55

$17.81 $17.81

-26.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.15

$10.54 $10.54

-23.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.89

$19.44 $19.44

-7.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$5.43 $5.43

-58.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$4.38 $4.38

-60.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$3.25 $3.25

-44.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$3.00 $3.00

-10.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$2.25 $2.25

-21.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.72

$2.47 $2.47

-21.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$2.75 $2.75

-46.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$2.94 $2.94

-74.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.91

$13.39 $13.39

-50.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

$17.01 $17.01

-66.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.83 $1.83

-29.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.75 $2.75

-22.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.54

$3.64 $3.64

9.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$2.21 $2.21

-71.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.81

$48.19 $48.19

-60.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.02

$0.95 $0.95

140.00%

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

$33.4K €29.6K

$27.7K $27.7K

20.46%

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

$38.5K €34.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

47.77%

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

$158 €141

$197 $197

-19.79%

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

$17.54 €15.58

$36.92 $36.92

-52.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.70

$61.0 $61.0

-48.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.66

$74.9 $74.9

-40.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.86

$45.60 $45.60

-58.38%

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.51

$12.60 $12.60

-23.97%

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

$674 €598

$2,164 $2,164

-68.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.6K

$35.1K $35.1K

-46.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.8

$38.44 $38.44

165.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.77

$16.21 $16.21

183.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.8

$100 $100

1.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$99.1 $99.1

23.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,457

$2,082 $2,082

-21.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,055

$2,317 $2,317

-48.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,509

$2,812 $2,812

0.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,793

$2,843 $2,843

-29.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,960

$4,942 $4,942

58.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,176

$4,270 $4,270

10.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,499

$8,146 $8,146

-79.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

6.51

-41.32%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ashland, MA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Ashland, MA

$2.3K 63.2% 95.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Ashland, MA

$498 13.6% 81.5% $224

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Ashland, MA

$327 8.9% 33.3% $82

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Ashland, MA

$295 8.1% 42.6% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Ashland, MA

$114 3.1% 31.7% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Ashland, MA

$100 2.7% 56.9% $36

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Ashland, MA

$15 * 0.4% 75.7% $46

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,641 in Lisbon versus $2,082 in Ashland, MA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ashland, MA are about 4.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Lisbon versus $74 in Ashland, MA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $498 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Ashland, MA

🕒 Local time

16:15 4:15 PM

11:15 11:15 AM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

21,684

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Ashland, MA 5,170 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Ashland, 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 Ashland, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashland, MA costs about 66% 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,309 per month in Lisbon and $5,499 in Ashland, MA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,641 there versus $2,082 in Ashland, MA.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $3,666 in Ashland, MA. That makes Lisbon about 40% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $674 per month in Lisbon and $2,164 in Ashland, MA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,206, than in Ashland, MA at $3,666. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ashland, MA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Ashland, MA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.