Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Berkeley, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $3,878 in Berkeley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
188

Cost of Living Index in Berkeley, CA
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Berkeley, CA Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Berkeley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,878

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Berkeley, CA

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 Berkeley, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Lisbon vs $3,878 in Berkeley, CA, rent included.

Lisbon $2,223
Berkeley, CA $3,878

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Lisbon vs $5,546 in Berkeley, CA, rent included.

Lisbon $3,271
Berkeley, CA $5,546

A family of three spends $4,319 per month in Lisbon vs $7,215 in Berkeley, CA, rent included.

Lisbon $4,319
Berkeley, CA $7,215

Lisbon is about 43% cheaper than Berkeley, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Berkeley, CA sit above the global median – Lisbon by 65%, Berkeley, CA by 187%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$22.39 $22.39

-26.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$80.3 $80.3

-23.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$10.52 $10.52

7.13%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$6.07 $6.07

-49.59%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$3.25 $3.25

-30.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$3.08 $3.08

-43.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$5.90 $5.90

-42.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$7.65 $7.65

-55.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$2.00 $2.00

-44.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$4.54 $4.54

-59.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$5.74 $5.74

-73.34%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$6.07 $6.07

-34.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$26.78 $26.78

-52.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$16.58 $16.58

-52.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$21.69 $21.69

-21.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$7.14 $7.14

-68.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.57 $2.57

-31.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$6.21 $6.21

-70.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$10.45 $10.45

-75.41%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$3.58 $3.58

-48.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$4.84 $4.84

-58.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$2.53 $2.53

-43.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$3.08 $3.08

-73.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$11.57 $11.57

-43.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$12.82 $12.82

-56.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$2.06 $2.06

-37.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.78 $2.78

-25.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.47 $2.47

-4.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$93.1 $93.1

-52.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$3.41 $3.41

17.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.89 $1.89

-42.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$39.52 $39.52

-57.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.47 $1.47

55.10%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$37.7K $37.7K

-10.57%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$26.1K $26.1K

50.76%

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

$167 €149

$180 $180

-7.07%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$61.7 $61.7

-69.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$76.7 $76.7

-56.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$49.54 $49.54

-7.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$7.94 $7.94

141.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$15.27 $15.27

-35.56%

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

$677 €602

$2,565 $2,565

-73.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$35.2K $35.2K

-51.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$71.2 $71.2

42.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$70.5 $70.5

-35.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$96.2 $96.2

3.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$235 $235

-47.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$2,594 $2,594

-37.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$2,219 $2,219

-46.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$4,778 $4,778

-40.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$3,487 $3,487

-42.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$8,047 $8,047

-5.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$7,245 $7,245

-40.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$6,775 $6,775

-76.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.62

-41.84%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Berkeley, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Berkeley, CA

$2.2K 57.2% 85.3% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Berkeley, CA

$578 14.9% 115% $309

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Berkeley, CA

$354 9.1% 46% $112

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Berkeley, CA

$319 8.2% 45.2% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Berkeley, CA

$213 5.5% 27.8% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Berkeley, CA

$80 2.1% 21.9% $14

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Berkeley, CA

$116 3% 83.9% $53

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Lisbon versus $2,594 in Berkeley, CA. 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 327% higher in Berkeley, CA, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Lisbon versus $80.0 in Berkeley, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $578 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Berkeley, CA

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

19:50 7:50 PM

8 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

121,363

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Berkeley, CA 9,100 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Berkeley, CA

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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 Berkeley, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Berkeley, CA is pricier by about 74%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,335 per month in Lisbon and $5,817 in Berkeley, CA. 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. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 111% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $677 per month in Lisbon and $2,565 in Berkeley, CA. 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 $2,223, than in Berkeley, CA at $3,878. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Berkeley, CA 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, Berkeley, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.