Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bellingham, WA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,010 in Bellingham, WA, rent and utilities included – about $9,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
145

Cost of Living Index in Bellingham, WA
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Bellingham, WA Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Bellingham, WA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,010

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Bellingham, WA

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 Bellingham, WA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $3,010 in Bellingham, WA, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Bellingham, WA $3,010

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $4,448 in Bellingham, WA, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Bellingham, WA $4,448

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $5,886 in Bellingham, WA, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Bellingham, WA $5,886

Lisbon is about 27% cheaper than Bellingham, WA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Bellingham, WA sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Bellingham, WA by 121%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$24.70 $24.70

-32.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$101 $101

-38.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$13.26 $13.26

-14.33%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$5.94 $5.94

-50.00%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$3.16 $3.16

-27.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.19 $2.19

-20.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$6.87 $6.87

-50.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$6.90 $6.90

-52.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.13 $1.13

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$3.82 $3.82

-50.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$4.91 $4.91

-69.25%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$4.96 $4.96

-18.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$18.80 $18.80

-31.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$18.61 $18.61

-58.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$23.00 $23.00

-22.78%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$5.14 $5.14

-55.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$1.89 $1.89

-8.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$5.32 $5.32

-65.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$6.32 $6.32

-59.02%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$3.61 $3.61

-49.58%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$3.16 $3.16

-37.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.55 $2.55

-42.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.47 $2.47

-70.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

$12.44 $12.44

-47.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$14.95 $14.95

-62.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.76 $1.76

-22.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$5.74 $5.74

-62.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$1.99 $1.99

17.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

$30.51 $30.51

46.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$2.68 $2.68

43.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.70 $1.70

-37.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$30.27 $30.27

-45.62%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.44 $1.44

52.78%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$27.5K $27.5K

24.28%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

50.57%

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

$161 €145

$217 $217

-25.74%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$57.4 $57.4

-67.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$81.3 $81.3

-59.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

$62.0 $62.0

-28.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

$14.82 $14.82

28.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$18.31 $18.31

-47.57%

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

$668 €600

$1,125 $1,125

-40.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$31.7K $31.7K

-44.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

$80.5 $80.5

26.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

$28.32 $28.32

56.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$109 $109

-9.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$149 $149

-17.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$1,707 $1,707

-5.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$1,458 $1,458

-18.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

$2,598 $2,598

8.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

$2,347 $2,347

-14.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

$4,441 $4,441

76.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

$3,925 $3,925

16.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$4,391 $4,391

-64.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.68

-42.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bellingham, WA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Bellingham, WA

$1.5K 48.4% 22.5% $268

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Bellingham, WA

$505 16.8% 85.3% $232

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Bellingham, WA

$378 12.6% 55.9% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Bellingham, WA

$356 11.8% 67.5% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Bellingham, WA

$165 5.5% 0.5% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Bellingham, WA

$99 3.3% 54.8% $35

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Bellingham, WA

$50 1.7% 21.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,707 in Bellingham, WA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bellingham, WA are about 2.8 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $101 in Bellingham, WA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $505 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Bellingham, WA

🕒 Local time

17:46 5:46 PM

10:46 10:46 AM

7 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

91,482

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Bellingham, WA 8,290 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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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 Bellingham, WA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bellingham, WA costs about 36% 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 $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $4,515 in Bellingham, WA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,707 in Bellingham, WA. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Lisbon and $1,125 in Bellingham, WA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 85% more in Bellingham, WA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,210, than in Bellingham, WA at $3,010. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bellingham, WA 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 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.

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