Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Fairfax, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,428 in Fairfax, VA, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
166

Cost of Living Index in Fairfax, VA
Learn more

Fairfax, VA Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Fairfax, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Fairfax, VA

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 Fairfax, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,428 in Fairfax, VA.

Lisbon $2,210
Fairfax, VA $3,428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $4,787 in Fairfax, VA.

Lisbon $3,275
Fairfax, VA $4,787

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $6,147 in Fairfax, VA.

Lisbon $4,341
Fairfax, VA $6,147

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 36% less than in Fairfax, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Fairfax, VA 152% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$19.15 $19.15

-13.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$96.5 $96.5

-36.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$11.84 $11.84

-4.05%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$6.08 $6.08

-51.15%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$3.20 $3.20

-28.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.52 $2.52

-30.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$6.85 $6.85

-50.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$8.06 $8.06

-58.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.10 $1.10

5.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$4.07 $4.07

-53.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$5.39 $5.39

-71.99%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$5.40 $5.40

-25.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$16.98 $16.98

-23.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$14.95 $14.95

-48.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$18.63 $18.63

-4.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$5.89 $5.89

-60.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.26 $2.26

-23.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$5.79 $5.79

-67.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$5.73 $5.73

-54.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.76 $2.76

-34.06%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$3.74 $3.74

-47.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.45 $2.45

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.68 $2.68

-73.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$13.63 $13.63

-51.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$15.84 $15.84

-64.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.63 $2.63

-48.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$4.54 $4.54

-52.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.70 $2.70

-13.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$68.7 $68.7

-34.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$2.98 $2.98

29.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.47 $1.47

-27.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$24.06 $24.06

-31.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.07 $1.07

105.61%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$35.6K $35.6K

-3.97%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$26.1K $26.1K

48.20%

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

$161 €144

$212 $212

-24.05%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$65.6 $65.6

-71.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$77.3 $77.3

-57.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$68.6 $68.6

-35.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$25.20 $25.20

-24.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$17.96 $17.96

-46.55%

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

$668 €598

$1,906 $1,906

-64.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$35.2K $35.2K

-49.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$52.5 $52.5

94.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$54.9 $54.9

-19.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$92.6 $92.6

6.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$112 $112

10.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$2,474 $2,474

-34.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$1,920 $1,920

-38.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$3,353 $3,353

-16.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$2,733 $2,733

-26.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$5,371 $5,371

45.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$3,702 $3,702

23.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$5,746 $5,746

-72.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.72

-42.71%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Fairfax, VA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Fairfax, VA

$1.9K 56% 61.3% $730

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Fairfax, VA

$483 14.1% 77.3% $210

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Fairfax, VA

$335 9.8% 38% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Fairfax, VA

$355 10.4% 67.3% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Fairfax, VA

$140 4.1% 15.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Fairfax, VA

$105 3.1% 64% $41

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Fairfax, VA

$90 2.6% 42.2% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $2,474 in Fairfax, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fairfax, VA pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $97 in Fairfax, VA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $483 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Fairfax, VA

🕒 Local time

08:02 8:02 AM

03:02 3:02 AM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

24,146

💱 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 Fairfax, VA 5,760 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Fairfax, VA

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 Fairfax, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 36% lower than in Fairfax, VA. 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 73% 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 $2,474 in Fairfax, VA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Fairfax, VA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62 versus $97 in Fairfax, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,428 in Fairfax, VA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Fairfax, VA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 36% less than in Fairfax, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.