Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and El Cajon, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $3,334 in El Cajon, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
159

Cost of Living Index in El Cajon, CA
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El Cajon, CA Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

El Cajon, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,334

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in El Cajon, CA

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 El Cajon, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,206 per month in Lisbon vs $3,334 in El Cajon, CA, rent included.

Lisbon $2,206
El Cajon, CA $3,334

A couple spends around $3,276 per month in Lisbon vs $4,663 in El Cajon, CA, rent included.

Lisbon $3,276
El Cajon, CA $4,663

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $5,991 in El Cajon, CA, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
El Cajon, CA $5,991

Lisbon is about 34% cheaper than El Cajon, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and El Cajon, CA sit above the global median – Lisbon by 63%, El Cajon, CA by 147%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €14.98

$20.11 $20.11

-16.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.2

$79.4 $79.4

-23.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.75

$14.97 $14.97

-26.65%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.71

$5.89 $5.89

-48.22%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$3.05 $3.05

-25.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.49

$2.70 $2.70

-37.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.05

$7.56 $7.56

-54.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.47

$9.26 $9.26

-57.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.15 $1.15

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$4.02 $4.02

-52.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.33

$4.67 $4.67

-67.88%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.66

$4.58 $4.58

-10.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.55

$14.52 $14.52

-10.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.15

$16.67 $16.67

-51.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.89

$15.58 $15.58

14.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$4.64 $4.64

-51.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.70 $1.70

2.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$4.64 $4.64

-60.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$4.90 $4.90

-45.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$3.38 $3.38

-47.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.72

$2.29 $2.29

-15.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.98 $1.98

-26.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$2.03 $2.03

-62.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.91

$11.82 $11.82

-43.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

$16.19 $16.19

-65.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.95 $1.95

-33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.90

$3.29 $3.29

-34.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.04

$1.96 $1.96

17.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.54

$3.04 $3.04

30.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.87 $1.87

-65.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.81

$28.20 $28.20

-32.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.02

$1.62 $1.62

40.74%

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

$33.4K €29.6K

$28.5K $28.5K

17.22%

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

$38.5K €34.2K

$26.4K $26.4K

45.72%

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

$158 €141

$167 $167

-5.23%

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

$17.54 €15.58

$68.5 $68.5

-74.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.70

$70.5 $70.5

-55.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.66

$49.32 $49.32

-9.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.86

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.51

$15.26 $15.26

-37.22%

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

$674 €598

$1,905 $1,905

-64.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.6K

$18.1K $18.1K

3.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.8

$58.6 $58.6

74.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.77

$40.42 $40.42

13.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.8

$98.4 $98.4

3.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$140 $140

-12.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,457

$2,371 $2,371

-30.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,055

$1,986 $1,986

-40.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,509

$3,565 $3,565

-20.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,793

$2,973 $2,973

-32.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,960

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,176

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,499

$3,876 $3,876

-56.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

6.31

-39.46%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for El Cajon, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

El Cajon, CA

$2K 59.6% 67.3% $799

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

El Cajon, CA

$434 13% 58.3% $160

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

El Cajon, CA

$356 10.7% 45.1% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

El Cajon, CA

$306 9.2% 47.9% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

El Cajon, CA

$152 4.6% 9.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

El Cajon, CA

$80 2.4% 25.1% $16

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

El Cajon, CA

$20 * 0.6% 66.6% $40

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,641 in Lisbon versus $2,371 in El Cajon, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in El Cajon, CA are about 2.3 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Lisbon versus $79 in El Cajon, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $434 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 El Cajon, CA

🕒 Local time

23:35 11:35 PM

15:35 3:35 PM

8 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

106,215

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon El Cajon, CA 9,130 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
El Cajon, CA

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 El Cajon, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – El Cajon, CA is pricier by about 51%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,309 per month in Lisbon and $5,001 in El Cajon, CA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,641 there versus $2,371 in El Cajon, CA.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Lisbon and $79 in El Cajon, CA. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in El Cajon, CA, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,206, than in El Cajon, CA at $3,334. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in El Cajon, CA it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

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, El Cajon, CA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.