Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Belfast, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,603 in Belfast, ME, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Belfast, ME, United States
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Belfast, ME
🇺🇸 United States
$2,603
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Belfast, ME

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 Belfast, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $2,603 in Belfast, ME, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Belfast, ME $2,603

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $3,832 in Belfast, ME, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Belfast, ME $3,832

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $5,060 in Belfast, ME, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Belfast, ME $5,060

Lisbon is about 15% cheaper than Belfast, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Belfast, ME sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Belfast, ME by 91%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Belfast, ME
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$20.23 $20.23
-17.70%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$76.3 $76.3
-19.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$11.37 $11.37
-0.09%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$5.47 $5.47
-45.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$2.59 $2.59
-11.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.95 $1.95
-10.77%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$5.94 $5.94
-42.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$7.39 $7.39
-55.21%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Belfast, ME
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.05 $1.05
10.48%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$3.58 $3.58
-46.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$4.44 $4.44
-65.99%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$4.10 $4.10
-1.95%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$12.58 $12.58
2.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$11.82 $11.82
-34.26%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$17.14 $17.14
3.62%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$4.98 $4.98
-53.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$1.58 $1.58
9.49%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$4.42 $4.42
-57.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$4.05 $4.05
-36.05%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$2.89 $2.89
-37.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$2.92 $2.92
-32.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$2.14 $2.14
-31.31%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$2.31 $2.31
-68.83%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$10.18 $10.18
-35.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$14.97 $14.97
-62.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.13 $2.13
-36.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$3.44 $3.44
-37.79%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Belfast, ME
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$1.79 $1.79
30.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$59.0 $59.0
-24.21%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$3.31 $3.31
16.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.98 $1.98
-45.96%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$26.30 $26.30
-37.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$0.99 $0.99
122.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$28.5K $28.5K
20.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$26.1K $26.1K
48.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Belfast, ME
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$202 $202
-20.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$58.9 $58.9
-68.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$69.7 $69.7
-53.00%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Belfast, ME
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$40.70 $40.70
9.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$12.27 $12.27
-21.76%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Belfast, ME
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$1,382 $1,382
-51.69%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$24.3K $24.3K
-27.65%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Belfast, ME
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$52.8 $52.8
93.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$40.70 $40.70
9.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$88.6 $88.6
11.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$112 $112
10.08%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Belfast, ME
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$1,570 $1,570
2.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$1,272 $1,272
-6.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$2,533 $2,533
11.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$2,133 $2,133
-5.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$2,799 $2,799
180.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$2,330 $2,330
96.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Belfast, ME
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.57
-41.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Belfast, ME: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Belfast, ME
$1.3K 6.9% $82
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Belfast, ME
$399 46.6% $127
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Belfast, ME
$324 33.7% $82
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Belfast, ME
$331 55.7% $118
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Belfast, ME
$133 20.1% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Belfast, ME
$65 2.4% $1.5
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Belfast, ME
$79 25.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,570 in Belfast, ME. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $76 in Belfast, ME. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $399 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇺🇸 Belfast, ME
🕒 Local time
17:58 5:58 PM
13:58 1:58 PM
4 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
6,800
💱 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 Belfast, ME 4,910 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Belfast, ME

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 Belfast, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lisbon cheaper than Belfast, ME?
Yes – Belfast, ME is pricier by about 18%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $3,904 in Belfast, ME. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What is the rent difference between Lisbon and Belfast, ME?
A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,570 in Belfast, ME. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.
Which city has cheaper public transport?
Public transport costs about 24% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Lisbon and $1,382 in Belfast, ME. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough for either Lisbon or Belfast, ME?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,603 in Belfast, ME, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Lisbon or in Belfast, ME?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,210 in Lisbon to $2,603 in Belfast, ME. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Lisbon or Belfast, ME?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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