Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Elmira, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Elmira, NY: $1,902 a month against $2,203 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Elmira, NY
Learn more

Elmira, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,203

/mo nomad

Elmira, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$1,902

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Elmira, NY

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 Elmira, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,203 per month in Lisbon vs $1,902 in Elmira, NY, rent included.

Lisbon $2,203
Elmira, NY $1,902

A couple spends around $3,237 per month in Lisbon vs $2,686 in Elmira, NY, rent included.

Lisbon $3,237
Elmira, NY $2,686

A family of three spends $4,272 per month in Lisbon vs $3,469 in Elmira, NY, rent included.

Lisbon $4,272
Elmira, NY $3,469

Lisbon costs about 16% more than Elmira, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Elmira, NY sit above the global median – Lisbon by 64%, Elmira, NY by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.01 €15.18

$8.32 $8.32

104.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.7 €56.0

$94.2 $94.2

-33.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €10.19

$11.97 $11.97

-4.59%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.76

$5.03 $5.03

-38.57%

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

$2.37 €2.11

$2.41 $2.41

-1.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.48

$1.46 $1.46

13.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 €3.09

$3.95 $3.95

-12.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 €2.93

$4.90 $4.90

-32.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$0.81 $0.81

44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 €1.66

$2.55 $2.55

-26.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$5.70 $5.70

-73.33%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.46

$2.81 $2.81

38.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 €11.49

$13.03 $13.03

-1.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 €7.08

$10.07 $10.07

-21.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 €15.73

$13.44 $13.44

31.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$4.95 $4.95

-54.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.05 $1.05

67.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.68

$4.62 $4.62

-59.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$5.04 $5.04

-50.99%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.69 $2.69

-30.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$3.06 $3.06

-32.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.24

$2.39 $2.39

-41.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$2.41 $2.41

-66.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 €6.15

$12.92 $12.92

-46.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 €4.93

$18.22 $18.22

-69.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$2.08 $2.08

-36.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$4.03 $4.03

-46.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €2.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.14 €40.29

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 €3.57

$5.29 $5.29

-24.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$2.29 $2.29

-53.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.53 €14.75

$45.83 $45.83

-63.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €2.02

$1.11 $1.11

103.60%

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

$33.5K €29.9K

$35.2K $35.2K

-4.81%

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

$40.5K €36.1K

$24.6K $24.6K

64.45%

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

$164 €146

$149 $149

10.00%

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

$18.54 €16.55

$52.5 $52.5

-64.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 €29.64

$66.7 $66.7

-50.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €41.06

$24.83 $24.83

85.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 €16.78

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 €8.45

$9.94 $9.94

-4.73%

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

$690 €615

$1,515 $1,515

-54.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.0K

$32.9K $32.9K

-48.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €93.4

$32.21 $32.21

224.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 €40.40

$45.26 $45.26

0.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 €88.3

$78.3 $78.3

26.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$113 $113

9.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,413

$1,193 $1,193

32.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,079

$892 $892

35.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,833 €2,528

$1,484 $1,484

90.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,964 €1,753

$1,083 $1,083

81.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,643 €6,821

$1,106 $1,106

590.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,431 €3,954

$1,096 $1,096

304.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,573 €1,403

$8,383 $8,383

-81.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

6.52

-41.87%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 4, 2026

Last update for Elmira, NY: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 54%

Elmira, NY

$892 46.2% 26.2% $317

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.1%

Elmira, NY

$380 19.7% 39.6% $108

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11%

Elmira, NY

$208 10.8% 16% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.6%

Elmira, NY

$268 13.9% 24.4% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.5%

Elmira, NY

$121 6.3% 27.9% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 2.9%

Elmira, NY

$45 2.3% 31.1% $20

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Elmira, NY

$17 * 0.9% 73.6% $47

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,583 in Lisbon versus $1,193 in Elmira, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 433% higher in Elmira, NY, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon versus $94.0 in Elmira, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $380 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Elmira, NY

🕒 Local time

02:02 2:02 AM

21:02 9:02 PM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

26,523

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Elmira, NY 5,590 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Elmira, NY

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 Elmira, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,203 in Lisbon, $1,902 in Elmira, NY – roughly 16% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,304 per month in Lisbon and $2,853 in Elmira, NY. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Elmira, NY, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon and $94.0 in Elmira, NY. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 40% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Elmira, NY, where all-in costs run around $1,902, than in Lisbon at $2,203. In Elmira, NY it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,902 in Elmira, NY to $2,203 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Elmira, NY. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.