Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Burlington, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $2,645 in Burlington, NC, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, NC
Learn more

Burlington, NC Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Burlington, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,645

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Burlington, NC

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 Burlington, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,206 per month in Lisbon vs $2,645 in Burlington, NC, rent included.

Lisbon $2,206
Burlington, NC $2,645

A couple spends around $3,276 per month in Lisbon vs $3,850 in Burlington, NC, rent included.

Lisbon $3,276
Burlington, NC $3,850

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $5,054 in Burlington, NC, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Burlington, NC $5,054

Lisbon is about 17% cheaper than Burlington, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Burlington, NC sit above the global median – Lisbon by 63%, Burlington, NC by 96%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.02

$19.38 $19.38

-13.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.4

$74.3 $74.3

-17.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.78

$10.92 $10.92

0.55%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.72

$5.04 $5.04

-39.48%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$2.62 $2.62

-12.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.95 $1.95

-13.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.06

$6.16 $6.16

-44.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.48

$6.80 $6.80

-42.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.04 $1.04

10.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$3.52 $3.52

-46.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$4.23 $4.23

-64.54%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.67

$4.22 $4.22

-2.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.59

$12.02 $12.02

8.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.17

$11.26 $11.26

-28.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.94

$15.19 $15.19

17.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$4.76 $4.76

-52.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.56 $1.56

11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$4.12 $4.12

-55.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$4.61 $4.61

-41.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$2.87 $2.87

-38.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$2.88 $2.88

-32.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$2.11 $2.11

-30.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$2.12 $2.12

-64.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.93

$9.40 $9.40

-29.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.02

$13.88 $13.88

-59.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.79 $1.79

-27.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$3.37 $3.37

-36.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.05 $2.05

12.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.21

$59.9 $59.9

-26.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.55

$3.46 $3.46

15.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.59 $1.59

-59.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.86

$29.13 $29.13

-35.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.83 $0.83

174.70%

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

$33.4K €29.7K

$29.1K $29.1K

14.72%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$25.7K $25.7K

49.65%

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

$158 €141

$188 $188

-15.72%

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

$17.54 €15.62

$53.1 $53.1

-66.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.78

$68.2 $68.2

-54.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.77

$42.74 $42.74

4.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.91

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.53

$13.63 $13.63

-29.71%

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

$674 €600

$1,310 $1,310

-48.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.7K

$23.2K $23.2K

-19.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.0

$50.4 $50.4

102.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.89

$40.77 $40.77

12.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.0

$85.8 $85.8

19.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$114 $114

6.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,461

$1,611 $1,611

1.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,058

$1,363 $1,363

-12.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,516

$2,655 $2,655

6.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,798

$2,223 $2,223

-9.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,980

$2,746 $2,746

185.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,188

$2,444 $2,444

92.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,503

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

6.51

-41.32%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Burlington, NC: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Burlington, NC

$1.4K 51.5% 14.8% $176

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Burlington, NC

$382 14.4% 39.1% $107

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Burlington, NC

$311 11.8% 26.8% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Burlington, NC

$309 11.7% 49.3% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Burlington, NC

$131 5% 21.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Burlington, NC

$70 2.7% 9.7% $6.2

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Burlington, NC

$80 3% 31.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,641 in Lisbon versus $1,611 in Burlington, NC. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Lisbon versus $74 in Burlington, NC. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $382 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Burlington, NC

🕒 Local time

16:22 4:22 PM

11:22 11:22 AM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

44,743

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Burlington, NC 6,060 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Burlington, NC

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 Burlington, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon, $2,645 in Burlington, NC – Lisbon comes out roughly 17% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,309 per month in Lisbon and $3,968 in Burlington, NC. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

A central 1-bedroom goes for about $1,641 in Lisbon and $1,611 in Burlington, NC. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Public transport costs about 26% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $674 per month in Lisbon and $1,310 in Burlington, NC. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,206 in Lisbon and $2,645 in Burlington, NC, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,206 in Lisbon to $2,645 in Burlington, NC. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.