Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bowling Green, KY Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bowling Green, KY

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $2,036 in Bowling Green, KY.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $3,048 in Bowling Green, KY.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $4,061 in Bowling Green, KY.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 11% more expensive than Bowling Green, KY, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Bowling Green, KY 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$11.67 $11.67

36.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$56.1 $56.1

13.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$10.18 $10.18

1.96%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$4.88 $4.88

-42.83%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$2.28 $2.28

2.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.83 $1.83

-14.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$4.18 $4.18

-17.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$6.02 $6.02

-35.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.67 $0.67

61.19%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.23 $2.23

-20.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.18 $2.18

-21.56%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.93 $2.93

7.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$10.23 $10.23

33.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$9.05 $9.05

-11.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$14.99 $14.99

3.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$4.57 $4.57

-49.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.25 $1.25

31.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.11 $2.11

-8.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$4.34 $4.34

-42.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$3.29 $3.29

-45.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.28 $3.28

-38.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.95 $1.95

1.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.82 $1.82

-53.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$7.74 $7.74

-12.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$12.96 $12.96

-56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.69 $1.69

-17.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.73 $1.73

74.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$3.55 $3.55

-36.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$39.50 $39.50

15.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$4.97 $4.97

-13.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.23 $1.23

-30.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$25.35 $25.35

-27.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$0.79 $0.79

151.90%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$23.0K $23.0K

52.58%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$25.3K $25.3K

56.12%

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

$146 €126

$159 $159

-8.26%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$43.82 $43.82

-53.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$64.1 $64.1

-39.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$30.44 $30.44

60.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$12.04 $12.04

56.40%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$15.26 $15.26

-37.61%

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

$608 €524

$1,144 $1,144

-46.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$24.5K $24.5K

-32.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$55.5 $55.5

87.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$34.97 $34.97

20.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$74.0 $74.0

24.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$76.5 $76.5

56.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$1,186 $1,186

36.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$1,019 $1,019

24.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$1,862 $1,862

63.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$1,897 $1,897

5.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$1,990 $1,990

285.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$1,997 $1,997

116.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$2,913 $2,913

-45.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.53

-41.65%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Bowling Green, KY: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $1,186 in Bowling Green, KY. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bowling Green, KY pays 84% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $56.0 in Bowling Green, KY. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $315, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Bowling Green, KY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bowling Green, KY wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bowling Green, KY the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Bowling Green, KY earns 84% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $1,186 in Bowling Green, KY. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Bowling Green, KY – a meal for two runs $56.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,036 in Bowling Green, KY versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bowling Green, KY but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bowling Green, KY the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bowling Green, KY delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,036 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bowling Green, KY hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Bowling Green, KY are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Bowling Green, KY gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.