Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Birmingham, AL

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,627 in Birmingham, AL, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 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
126

Cost of Living Index in Birmingham, AL
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Birmingham, AL Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Birmingham, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,627

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Birmingham, AL

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 Birmingham, AL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $2,627 in Birmingham, AL, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Birmingham, AL $2,627

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $3,899 in Birmingham, AL, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Birmingham, AL $3,899

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $5,172 in Birmingham, AL, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Birmingham, AL $5,172

Lisbon is about 16% cheaper than Birmingham, AL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Birmingham, AL sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Birmingham, AL by 93%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.85

$17.75 $17.75

-6.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.1

$69.7 $69.7

-11.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.13

$8.86 $8.86

28.22%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.65

$5.67 $5.67

-47.62%

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

$2.29 €2.04

$2.65 $2.65

-13.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.28 $2.28

-23.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.04

$5.12 $5.12

-33.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.95

$5.92 $5.92

-44.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.08 $1.08

7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$3.09 $3.09

-38.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$4.82 $4.82

-68.67%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.59

$4.24 $4.24

-5.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.54

$9.30 $9.30

39.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.94

$11.16 $11.16

-30.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.85

$16.46 $16.46

7.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$6.42 $6.42

-64.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.38 $1.38

25.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$7.88 $7.88

-76.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.31

$5.57 $5.57

-53.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$4.16 $4.16

-56.25%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$5.39 $5.39

-63.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.86 $2.86

-48.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.79 $2.79

-74.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.87

$8.55 $8.55

-23.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.00

$15.06 $15.06

-62.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.42 $2.42

-43.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$3.51 $3.51

-39.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.08

$1.53 $1.53

52.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €39.86

$78.9 $78.9

-43.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.43

$2.95 $2.95

30.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.55 $1.55

-30.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.69

$30.20 $30.20

-45.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$0.92 $0.92

139.13%

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

$34.2K €30.5K

$26.6K $26.6K

28.58%

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

$38.7K €34.5K

$25.7K $25.7K

50.53%

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

$161 €144

$274 $274

-41.27%

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

$18.41 €16.43

$75.7 $75.7

-75.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.21

$72.2 $72.2

-54.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.74

$54.3 $54.3

-17.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.04

$20.24 $20.24

-5.63%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.56

$16.04 $16.04

-40.15%

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

$668 €596

$1,324 $1,324

-49.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$17.8K $17.8K

-0.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.0

$59.5 $59.5

71.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.67

$38.91 $38.91

14.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €87.9

$109 $109

-9.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €110

$136 $136

-8.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,435

$1,582 $1,582

1.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,062

$1,146 $1,146

3.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,509

$2,560 $2,560

9.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,796

$2,017 $2,017

-0.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €6,994

$2,665 $2,665

194.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,082

$1,820 $1,820

151.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,405

$3,246 $3,246

-51.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.69

-42.45%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Birmingham, AL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Birmingham, AL

$1.1K 43.6% 3.7% $44

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Birmingham, AL

$428 16.3% 57.2% $156

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Birmingham, AL

$294 11.2% 21.1% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Birmingham, AL

$422 16.1% 98.9% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Birmingham, AL

$155 5.9% 6.8% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Birmingham, AL

$86 3.3% 35.5% $23

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Birmingham, AL

$96 3.6% 51.5% $33

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,582 in Birmingham, AL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Birmingham, AL are about 2.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $70 in Birmingham, AL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $428 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Birmingham, AL

🕒 Local time

15:56 3:56 PM

09:56 9:56 AM

6 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

200,733

💱 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 Birmingham, AL 6,790 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Birmingham, AL

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 Birmingham, AL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $2,627 in Birmingham, AL – Lisbon comes out roughly 16% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $3,940 in Birmingham, AL. 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 $1,582 in Birmingham, AL. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,627 in Birmingham, AL. That makes Lisbon about 16% cheaper.

Public transport costs about 43% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,627 in Birmingham, AL, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lisbon costs $2,210 versus $2,627 in Birmingham, AL. Both appeal to remote workers, and the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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