Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Fairfield, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $3,978 in Fairfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 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
190

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CA
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Fairfield, CA Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $3,978 in Fairfield, CA.

Lisbon $2,206
Fairfield, CA $3,978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $5,242 in Fairfield, CA.

Lisbon $3,276
Fairfield, CA $5,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $6,507 in Fairfield, CA.

Lisbon $4,346
Fairfield, CA $6,507

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 45% less than in Fairfield, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Fairfield, CA 194% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €14.98

$21.62 $21.62

-22.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.2

$88.7 $88.7

-31.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.75

$12.01 $12.01

-8.58%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.71

$6.94 $6.94

-56.05%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$3.49 $3.49

-34.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.49

$2.02 $2.02

-16.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.05

$7.98 $7.98

-56.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.47

$7.16 $7.16

-45.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.41 $1.41

-18.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$4.42 $4.42

-57.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.33

$4.68 $4.68

-67.95%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.66

$5.54 $5.54

-25.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.55

$14.08 $14.08

-7.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.15

$15.20 $15.20

-47.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.89

$17.77 $17.77

0.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$6.11 $6.11

-62.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.59 $2.59

-32.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$6.35 $6.35

-71.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$6.60 $6.60

-59.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$3.89 $3.89

-54.50%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.72

$3.54 $3.54

-45.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$2.33 $2.33

-37.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$2.06 $2.06

-63.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.91

$11.87 $11.87

-43.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

$10.18 $10.18

-44.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$2.11 $2.11

-38.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.12 $2.12

0.94%

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

$87.1 $87.1

-49.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.54

$2.95 $2.95

34.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.95 $1.95

-67.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.81

$29.14 $29.14

-35.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.02

$1.43 $1.43

59.44%

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

$33.4K €29.6K

$28.2K $28.2K

18.43%

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

$38.5K €34.2K

$26.1K $26.1K

47.42%

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

$158 €141

$193 $193

-17.90%

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

$17.54 €15.58

$48.25 $48.25

-63.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.70

$72.9 $72.9

-57.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.66

$125 $125

-64.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.86

$73.7 $73.7

-74.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.51

$14.61 $14.61

-34.43%

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

$674 €598

$1,293 $1,293

-47.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.6K

$22.3K $22.3K

-16.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.8

$51.1 $51.1

100.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.77

$37.08 $37.08

23.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.8

$107 $107

-4.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$112 $112

9.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,457

$2,396 $2,396

-31.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,055

$2,432 $2,432

-51.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,509

$3,100 $3,100

-8.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,793

$2,967 $2,967

-31.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,960

$3,719 $3,719

110.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,176

$3,665 $3,665

28.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,499

$4,749 $4,749

-64.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

6.48

-41.05%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Fairfield, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Fairfield, CA

$2.4K 61.1% 105% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Fairfield, CA

$463 11.7% 68.7% $189

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Fairfield, CA

$369 9.3% 50.3% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Fairfield, CA

$314 7.9% 51.7% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Fairfield, CA

$138 3.5% 17.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Fairfield, CA

$155 3.9% 142% $91

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Fairfield, CA

$108 2.7% 78.1% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $2,396 in Fairfield, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fairfield, CA pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $89 in Fairfield, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $463 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CA

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

13:48 1:48 PM

8 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

117,133

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Fairfield, CA 9,060 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Fairfield, 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 Fairfield, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Fairfield, CA. 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 64% 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: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $2,396 in Fairfield, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,206 per month in Lisbon versus $3,978 in Fairfield, CA – Lisbon is about 45% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 49% less than in Fairfield, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,206 in Lisbon versus $3,978 in Fairfield, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Fairfield, CA. 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 45% less than in Fairfield, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.