Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and California, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,590 in California, MD, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in California, MD
Learn more

California, MD Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

California, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,590

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in California, 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 California, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $2,590 in California, MD, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
California, MD $2,590

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $3,729 in California, MD, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
California, MD $3,729

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $4,867 in California, MD, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
California, MD $4,867

Lisbon is about 15% cheaper than California, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and California, MD sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, California, MD by 90%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$25.39 $25.39

-34.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$76.0 $76.0

-18.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$10.01 $10.01

13.49%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$6.05 $6.05

-50.91%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.81 $2.81

-18.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.44 $2.44

-28.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$5.03 $5.03

-32.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$8.01 $8.01

-58.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.00 $1.00

16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$3.93 $3.93

-51.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$2.17 $2.17

-30.41%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.90 $3.90

3.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$11.56 $11.56

11.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$14.46 $14.46

-46.27%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$13.17 $13.17

34.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$4.29 $4.29

-46.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.16 $2.16

-19.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$4.48 $4.48

-58.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$6.48 $6.48

-60.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$4.50 $4.50

-59.56%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$4.08 $4.08

-51.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.04 $2.04

-27.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$1.97 $1.97

-63.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$8.79 $8.79

-25.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$13.83 $13.83

-59.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.69 $1.69

-19.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$4.77 $4.77

-55.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.14 $2.14

8.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$82.5 $82.5

-45.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$2.95 $2.95

30.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.49 $1.49

-28.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$22.83 $22.83

-27.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$0.86 $0.86

155.81%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$32.7K $32.7K

4.47%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$23.5K $23.5K

64.58%

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

$161 €144

$98.1 $98.1

64.39%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$41.45 $41.45

-55.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$61.9 $61.9

-47.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$39.56 $39.56

12.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$11.02 $11.02

73.32%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$17.68 $17.68

-45.70%

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

$668 €598

$1,937 $1,937

-65.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$32.6K $32.6K

-45.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$52.7 $52.7

93.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$47.01 $47.01

-5.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$87.5 $87.5

12.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$107 $107

15.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$1,721 $1,721

-6.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$1,308 $1,308

-9.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$1,818 $1,818

54.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$1,891 $1,891

6.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$6,900 $6,900

13.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$6,215 $6,215

-26.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$6,967 $6,967

-77.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.4

-39.84%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for California, MD: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

California, MD

$1.3K 50.5% 9.9% $118

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

California, MD

$404 15.6% 48.4% $132

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

California, MD

$368 14.2% 51.7% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

California, MD

$201 7.8% 5.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

California, MD

$133 5.1% 20.1% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

California, MD

$75 2.9% 17.5% $11

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

California, MD

$101 3.9% 60.5% $38

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,721 in California, 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 California, MD are about 4.4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $76 in California, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $404 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 California, MD

🕒 Local time

15:12 3:12 PM

10:12 10:12 AM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

13,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon California, MD 5,720 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
California, 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 California, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – California, MD is pricier by about 17%, 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 $3,886 in California, MD. 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 $1,721 in California, MD. The gap holds across neighborhoods – outer areas show a similar spread, just at lower price points.

Groceries cost about 48% more in California, MD, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $76 in California, MD. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,590 in California, MD, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

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, California, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.