Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bethesda, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,184 in Bethesda, MD, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Bethesda, MD
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Bethesda, MD Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Bethesda, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Bethesda, MD

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 Bethesda, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $3,184 in Bethesda, MD, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Bethesda, MD $3,184

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $4,988 in Bethesda, MD, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Bethesda, MD $4,988

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $6,792 in Bethesda, MD, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Bethesda, MD $6,792

Lisbon is about 31% cheaper than Bethesda, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Bethesda, MD sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Bethesda, MD by 134%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$22.45 $22.45

-25.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$101 $101

-38.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$10.79 $10.79

5.28%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$5.39 $5.39

-44.90%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.95 $2.95

-22.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.42 $2.42

-28.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$7.07 $7.07

-51.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$8.77 $8.77

-62.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.21 $1.21

-4.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$4.18 $4.18

-54.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$3.94 $3.94

-61.68%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$4.59 $4.59

-12.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$16.66 $16.66

-22.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$15.83 $15.83

-50.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$23.19 $23.19

-23.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$5.70 $5.70

-59.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.35 $1.35

28.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$4.21 $4.21

-55.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$4.16 $4.16

-37.74%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.23 $2.23

-18.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.61 $2.61

-24.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.36 $2.36

-37.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.45 $2.45

-70.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$9.45 $9.45

-30.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$18.13 $18.13

-69.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.70 $1.70

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.91 $2.91

-26.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$3.02 $3.02

-22.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$102 $102

-56.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$3.99 $3.99

-3.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.27 $1.27

-15.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$24.51 $24.51

-32.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$0.91 $0.91

141.76%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$23.0K $23.0K

48.75%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$24.0K $24.0K

61.38%

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

$161 €144

$162 $162

-0.38%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$38.86 $38.86

-52.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$61.1 $61.1

-46.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$106 $106

-57.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$30.35 $30.35

-37.07%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$16.29 $16.29

-41.07%

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

$668 €598

$1,830 $1,830

-63.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$35.4K $35.4K

-50.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$54.3 $54.3

87.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$56.2 $56.2

-20.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$102 $102

-3.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$152 $152

-18.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$2,260 $2,260

-28.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$1,683 $1,683

-29.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$3,962 $3,962

-29.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$3,285 $3,285

-38.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$5,989 $5,989

30.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$5,359 $5,359

-14.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$8,610 $8,610

-81.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.79

-43.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bethesda, MD: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Bethesda, MD

$1.7K 52.9% 41.4% $493

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Bethesda, MD

$462 14.5% 69.8% $190

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Bethesda, MD

$351 11% 44.7% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Bethesda, MD

$262 8.2% 23.3% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Bethesda, MD

$164 5.1% 1.3% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Bethesda, MD

$138 4.3% 117% $75

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Bethesda, MD

$124 3.9% 96.3% $61

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $2,260 in Bethesda, MD. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Bethesda, MD are about 5.5 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 Bethesda, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $462 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Bethesda, MD

🕒 Local time

01:58 1:58 AM

20:58 8:58 PM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

60,858

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Bethesda, MD 5,740 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Bethesda, MD

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 Bethesda, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Bethesda, MD is pricier by about 44%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $4,777 in Bethesda, MD. 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 $1,608 there versus $2,260 in Bethesda, MD.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $101 in Bethesda, MD. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $3,184 in Bethesda, MD. That makes Lisbon about 31% cheaper.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,210, than in Bethesda, MD at $3,184. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Bethesda, MD 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.

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