Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Fort Lee, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $3,905 in Fort Lee, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 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
187

Cost of Living Index in Fort Lee, NJ
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Fort Lee, NJ Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Fort Lee, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,905

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Fort Lee, NJ

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 Fort Lee, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $3,905 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Lisbon $2,206
Fort Lee, NJ $3,905

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $6,215 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Lisbon $3,276
Fort Lee, NJ $6,215

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $8,525 in Fort Lee, NJ.

Lisbon $4,346
Fort Lee, NJ $8,525

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 44% less than in Fort Lee, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Fort Lee, NJ 189% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.01

$24.72 $24.72

-31.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.4

$82.9 $82.9

-26.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.78

$11.17 $11.17

-1.70%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.72

$5.54 $5.54

-44.95%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$2.21 $2.21

3.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.60 $1.60

5.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.06

$7.88 $7.88

-56.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.48

$7.99 $7.99

-51.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.32 $1.32

-12.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$3.80 $3.80

-50.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$6.71 $6.71

-77.65%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.66

$4.69 $4.69

-12.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.58

$12.49 $12.49

4.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.16

$16.30 $16.30

-50.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.93

$17.09 $17.09

4.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$5.44 $5.44

-58.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.72 $1.72

1.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$6.39 $6.39

-71.52%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$5.57 $5.57

-51.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$3.97 $3.97

-55.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.72

$3.75 $3.75

-48.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$2.79 $2.79

-47.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$2.68 $2.68

-71.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.93

$11.72 $11.72

-43.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.02

$11.89 $11.89

-52.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.71 $1.71

-24.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.04 $2.04

4.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.05

$2.80 $2.80

-17.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.19

$134 $134

-67.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.55

$2.98 $2.98

33.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$2.00 $2.00

-68.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.85

$23.88 $23.88

-20.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.87 $0.87

162.07%

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

$33.4K €29.7K

$28.3K $28.3K

17.95%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$26.2K $26.2K

47.20%

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

$158 €141

$211 $211

-25.07%

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

$17.54 €15.62

$75.4 $75.4

-76.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.77

$66.0 $66.0

-52.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.75

$127 $127

-64.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.90

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.53

$14.58 $14.58

-34.29%

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

$674 €600

$2,008 $2,008

-66.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.7K

$25.5K $25.5K

-26.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.0

$41.02 $41.02

149.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.87

$57.4 $57.4

-19.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.0

$75.7 $75.7

34.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$86.0 $86.0

41.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,461

$2,887 $2,887

-43.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,057

$2,295 $2,295

-48.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,515

$6,408 $6,408

-55.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,797

$4,981 $4,981

-59.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,977

$4,254 $4,254

84.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,186

$3,836 $3,836

22.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,502

$6,563 $6,563

-74.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

6.76

-43.49%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Fort Lee, NJ: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Fort Lee, NJ

$2.3K 58.8% 93.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Fort Lee, NJ

$457 11.7% 66.5% $183

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Fort Lee, NJ

$368 9.4% 50.2% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Fort Lee, NJ

$353 9% 70.4% $146

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Fort Lee, NJ

$117 3% 30.1% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Fort Lee, NJ

$156 4% 144% $92

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Fort Lee, NJ

$159 4.1% 163% $98

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $2,887 in Fort Lee, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Fort Lee, NJ pays about 3.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $83 in Fort Lee, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $457 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Fort Lee, NJ

🕒 Local time

07:43 7:43 AM

02:43 2:43 AM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

37,008

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Fort Lee, NJ 5,410 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Fort Lee, NJ

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 Fort Lee, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Fort Lee, NJ. 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 74% 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 $2,887 in Fort Lee, NJ. 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 $3,905 in Fort Lee, NJ – Lisbon is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 67% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,206 in Lisbon versus $3,905 in Fort Lee, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Fort Lee, NJ. 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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Fort Lee, NJ are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Fort Lee, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.