Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Durham, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,423 in Durham, NC, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. The total is higher in Durham, NC despite lower rent and utilities.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Durham, NC
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Durham, NC Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Durham, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,423

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,423 in Durham, NC.

Lisbon $2,210
Durham, NC $2,423

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,700 in Durham, NC.

Lisbon $3,275
Durham, NC $3,700

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,978 in Durham, NC.

Lisbon $4,341
Durham, NC $4,978

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 9% less than in Durham, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Durham, NC 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$15.31 $15.31

8.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$106 $106

-41.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$9.96 $9.96

14.06%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$4.79 $4.79

-38.00%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$3.02 $3.02

-24.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.10 $2.10

-17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$6.18 $6.18

-44.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$7.12 $7.12

-53.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.13 $1.13

2.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$4.70 $4.70

-59.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$4.52 $4.52

-66.59%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.45 $3.45

16.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$19.01 $19.01

-31.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$16.98 $16.98

-54.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$17.05 $17.05

4.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$5.67 $5.67

-59.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.83 $1.83

-5.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$3.90 $3.90

-52.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$4.58 $4.58

-43.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.27 $2.27

-19.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$3.90 $3.90

-49.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.75 $2.75

-46.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$1.96 $1.96

-63.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$8.57 $8.57

-23.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$15.23 $15.23

-63.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.52 $1.52

-10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$4.01 $4.01

-46.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$1.96 $1.96

96.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.60 $0.60

78.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.01 $1.01

117.82%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$30.9K $30.9K

10.64%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$26.0K $26.0K

48.69%

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

$161 €144

$226 $226

-28.72%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$56.8 $56.8

-67.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$71.5 $71.5

-54.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$51.5 $51.5

-13.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$12.36 $12.36

-22.33%

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

$668 €598

$1,567 $1,567

-57.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$45.29 $45.29

125.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$35.33 $35.33

25.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$90.7 $90.7

8.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$134 $134

-7.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$1,502 $1,502

7.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$1,118 $1,118

6.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$2,272 $2,272

23.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$1,970 $1,970

2.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$3,463 $3,463

126.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$2,420 $2,420

89.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$4,786 $4,786

-67.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.81

-43.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Durham, NC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Durham, NC

$1.1K 46.2% 6.1% $72

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Durham, NC

$456 18.8% 67.5% $184

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Durham, NC

$276 11.4% 13.6% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Durham, NC

$355 14.6% 66.9% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Durham, NC

$137 5.7% 17.3% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Durham, NC

$76 3.2% 19.6% $12

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Durham, NC

$5 * 0.2% 92.1% $58

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 $1,502 in Durham, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Durham, NC pays about 3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $106 in Durham, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $456 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Durham, NC

🕒 Local time

04:45 4:45 AM

23:45 11:45 PM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

283,506

💱 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

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Between locations

Lisbon Durham, NC 6,020 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Durham, NC. 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 67% 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 $1,502 in Durham, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Durham, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $2,423 in Durham, NC – Lisbon is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value at $2,210 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

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

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Durham, NC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.