Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ellicott City, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,488 in Ellicott City, MD, rent and utilities included – about $15,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
167

Cost of Living Index in Ellicott City, MD
Learn more

Ellicott City, MD Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Ellicott City, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,488

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $3,488 in Ellicott City, MD, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Ellicott City, MD $3,488

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $4,646 in Ellicott City, MD, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Ellicott City, MD $4,646

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $5,804 in Ellicott City, MD, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Ellicott City, MD $5,804

Lisbon is about 37% cheaper than Ellicott City, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Ellicott City, MD sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Ellicott City, MD by 156%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$18.21 $18.21

-8.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$95.6 $95.6

-35.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$10.87 $10.87

4.51%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$5.40 $5.40

-45.00%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$3.35 $3.35

-31.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.63 $2.63

-33.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$6.97 $6.97

-51.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$8.07 $8.07

-58.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.17 $1.17

-0.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$4.11 $4.11

-53.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$3.81 $3.81

-60.37%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$4.58 $4.58

-12.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$16.91 $16.91

-23.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$13.00 $13.00

-40.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$18.52 $18.52

-4.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$6.17 $6.17

-62.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$1.59 $1.59

8.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$4.13 $4.13

-54.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$4.08 $4.08

-36.52%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$2.23 $2.23

-18.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$2.67 $2.67

-26.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.35 $2.35

-37.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.23 $2.23

-67.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

$13.49 $13.49

-51.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$15.37 $15.37

-63.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.68 $2.68

-49.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$3.14 $3.14

-31.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$1.78 $1.78

116.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.34 $1.34

-20.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$24.13 $24.13

-31.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$0.94 $0.94

134.04%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$23.1K $23.1K

48.26%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$24.1K $24.1K

60.61%

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

$161 €145

$208 $208

-22.60%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$49.91 $49.91

-63.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$79.9 $79.9

-59.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

$112 $112

-60.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$14.57 $14.57

-34.11%

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

$668 €600

$1,921 $1,921

-65.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$34.9K $34.9K

-49.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

$52.5 $52.5

94.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

$56.7 $56.7

-21.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$93.5 $93.5

5.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$112 $112

10.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$2,498 $2,498

-35.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$2,107 $2,107

-43.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

$3,056 $3,056

-7.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

$2,695 $2,695

-25.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

$2,635 $2,635

73.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$5,000 $5,000

-68.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.79

-43.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ellicott City, MD: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Ellicott City, MD

$2.1K 60.4% 77.1% $917

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Ellicott City, MD

$433 12.4% 59.2% $161

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Ellicott City, MD

$318 9.1% 31.1% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Ellicott City, MD

$338 9.7% 59.2% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Ellicott City, MD

$142 4.1% 14.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Ellicott City, MD

$141 4% 121% $77

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Ellicott City, MD

$8.5 * 0.2% 86.6% $55

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $2,498 in Ellicott City, 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 Ellicott City, MD are about 3.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $96 in Ellicott City, MD. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $433 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Ellicott City, MD

🕒 Local time

20:48 8:48 PM

16:48 4:48 PM

4 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

65,834

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Ellicott City, MD 5,710 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Ellicott City, 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 Ellicott City, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Ellicott City, MD is pricier by about 58%, 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 $5,232 in Ellicott City, MD. 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 $1,608 there versus $2,498 in Ellicott City, MD.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $3,488 in Ellicott City, MD. That makes Lisbon about 37% cheaper.

Kindergarten costs $668 per month in Lisbon and $1,921 in Ellicott City, MD. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,210, than in Ellicott City, MD at $3,488. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Ellicott City, MD 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, Ellicott City, MD makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.