Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cambridge, MA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $4,799 in Cambridge, MA, rent and utilities included – about $31,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
228

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge, MA
Learn more

Cambridge, MA Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Cambridge, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,799

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Cambridge, MA

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 Cambridge, MA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $4,799 in Cambridge, MA.

Lisbon $2,206
Cambridge, MA $4,799

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $7,155 in Cambridge, MA.

Lisbon $3,276
Cambridge, MA $7,155

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $9,510 in Cambridge, MA.

Lisbon $4,346
Cambridge, MA $9,510

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 54% less than in Cambridge, MA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Cambridge, MA 255% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.01

$19.83 $19.83

-14.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.4

$101 $101

-39.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.78

$11.82 $11.82

-7.11%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.72

$5.38 $5.38

-43.31%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$3.02 $3.02

-24.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.35 $2.35

-28.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.06

$7.93 $7.93

-56.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.48

$8.20 $8.20

-52.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.18 $1.18

-2.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$4.41 $4.41

-57.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$7.23 $7.23

-79.25%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.66

$5.02 $5.02

-17.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.58

$19.02 $19.02

-31.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.16

$13.98 $13.98

-42.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.93

$19.03 $19.03

-5.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$7.42 $7.42

-69.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.64 $1.64

6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$5.88 $5.88

-69.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$7.71 $7.71

-65.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$4.38 $4.38

-59.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.72

$3.68 $3.68

-47.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$2.93 $2.93

-50.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$2.51 $2.51

-69.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.93

$13.35 $13.35

-50.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.02

$15.55 $15.55

-63.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.94 $1.94

-33.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.90

$4.47 $4.47

-52.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.39 $2.39

-3.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.19

$88.9 $88.9

-50.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.55

$3.88 $3.88

2.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$2.15 $2.15

-70.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.85

$29.68 $29.68

-36.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.11 $1.11

105.41%

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

$33.4K €29.7K

$27.3K $27.3K

22.08%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$26.6K $26.6K

45.02%

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

$158 €141

$228 $228

-30.64%

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

$17.54 €15.62

$55.6 $55.6

-68.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.77

$78.6 $78.6

-60.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.75

$74.9 $74.9

-40.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.90

$30.38 $30.38

-37.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.53

$15.17 $15.17

-36.85%

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

$674 €600

$2,591 $2,591

-74.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.7K

$45.7K $45.7K

-58.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.0

$72.8 $72.8

40.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.87

$51.1 $51.1

-10.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.0

$103 $103

-0.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$141 $141

-13.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,461

$3,738 $3,738

-56.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,057

$3,207 $3,207

-62.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,515

$6,164 $6,164

-54.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,797

$5,901 $5,901

-65.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,977

$7,656 $7,656

2.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,186

$6,069 $6,069

-22.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,502

$6,222 $6,222

-72.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

6.5

-41.23%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Cambridge, MA: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Cambridge, MA

$3.2K 66.8% 170% $2K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Cambridge, MA

$510 10.6% 85.8% $235

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Cambridge, MA

$336 7% 37% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Cambridge, MA

$362 7.6% 75.1% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Cambridge, MA

$166 3.5% 1.1% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Cambridge, MA

$105 2.2% 65% $41

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Cambridge, MA

$113 2.4% 87.2% $53

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $3,738 in Cambridge, MA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge, MA pays about 3.7 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $101 in Cambridge, MA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $510 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Cambridge, MA

🕒 Local time

03:04 3:04 AM

22:04 10:04 PM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

105,162

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Cambridge, MA 5,140 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Cambridge, MA

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 Cambridge, MA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Cambridge, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 73% lower in Lisbon. 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: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $3,738 in Cambridge, MA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% higher in Cambridge, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $61 versus $101 in Cambridge, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,206 in Lisbon versus $4,799 in Cambridge, MA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Cambridge, MA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lisbon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Cambridge, MA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Cambridge, MA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Cambridge, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.