Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cary, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,871 in Cary, NC, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
Learn more

Cary, NC Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,871 in Cary, NC.

Lisbon $2,210
Cary, NC $2,871

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $4,202 in Cary, NC.

Lisbon $3,275
Cary, NC $4,202

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $5,532 in Cary, NC.

Lisbon $4,341
Cary, NC $5,532

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 23% less than in Cary, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Cary, NC 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.91

$19.79 $19.79

-15.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$101 $101

-38.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.17

$10.32 $10.32

10.08%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$5.09 $5.09

-41.65%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.11 $2.11

8.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.92 $1.92

-9.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$4.39 $4.39

-22.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.96

$6.34 $6.34

-47.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.00 $1.00

16.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$5.52 $5.52

-65.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$5.90 $5.90

-74.41%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$4.23 $4.23

-4.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$18.17 $18.17

-28.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.96

$17.20 $17.20

-54.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.91

$17.71 $17.71

0.28%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$6.00 $6.00

-61.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.87 $1.87

-7.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$3.61 $3.61

-48.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$6.68 $6.68

-61.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$3.18 $3.18

-42.77%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$4.35 $4.35

-54.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.83 $2.83

-48.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.37 $2.37

-69.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$9.89 $9.89

-33.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$10.22 $10.22

-45.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.28 $2.28

-40.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$3.97 $3.97

-46.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.54 $2.54

-8.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.01

$80.9 $80.9

-44.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.74

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$0.87 $0.87

152.87%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$29.2K $29.2K

32.49%

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

$161 €144

$184 $184

-12.29%

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

$18.41 €16.49

$48.24 $48.24

-61.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.32

$68.0 $68.0

-51.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.90

$77.0 $77.0

-42.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.10

$22.39 $22.39

-14.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$15.06 $15.06

-36.25%

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

$668 €598

$1,466 $1,466

-54.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$64.3 $64.3

58.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.82

$32.17 $32.17

38.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.2

$119 $119

-17.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$135 $135

-8.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,440

$1,937 $1,937

-16.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$1,427 $1,427

-16.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,519

$2,639 $2,639

6.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,803

$2,167 $2,167

-7.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,021

$2,869 $2,869

173.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,098

$2,638 $2,638

73.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$6,077 $6,077

-74.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.42

-40.03%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Cary, NC: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.7% 19.9% $237

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Cary, NC

$486 16.9% 78.5% $214

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Cary, NC

$301 10.5% 24.1% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Cary, NC

$300 10.5% 41.3% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Cary, NC

$158 5.5% 4.8% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Cary, NC

$107 3.7% 68.1% $43

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Cary, NC

$91 * 3.2% 44.1% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,937 in Cary, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays about 3.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $101 in Cary, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $486 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🕒 Local time

18:31 6:31 PM

13:31 1:31 PM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

176,987

💱 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 Cary, NC 6,020 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Cary, 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 Cary, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is about 23% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, utilities, and eating out. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 74% 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,937 in Cary, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $1,466 in Cary, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% higher in Cary, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Cary, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.