Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Foster City, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $4,255 in Foster City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 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
206

Cost of Living Index in Foster City, CA
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Foster City, CA Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Foster City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,255

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,206 per month in Lisbon vs $4,255 in Foster City, CA, rent included.

Lisbon $2,206
Foster City, CA $4,255

A couple spends around $3,276 per month in Lisbon vs $4,028 in Foster City, CA, rent included.

Lisbon $3,276
Foster City, CA $4,028

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $3,801 in Foster City, CA, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Foster City, CA $3,801

Lisbon is about 48% cheaper than Foster City, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Foster City, CA sit above the global median – Lisbon by 63%, Foster City, CA by 215%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €14.98

$25.11 $25.11

-32.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.2

$111 $111

-45.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.75

$11.80 $11.80

-6.95%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.71

$5.79 $5.79

-47.32%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$3.07 $3.07

-25.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.49

$2.74 $2.74

-38.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.05

$7.90 $7.90

-56.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.47

$7.78 $7.78

-49.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.43 $1.43

-19.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$4.91 $4.91

-61.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.33

$2.15 $2.15

-30.23%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.66

$6.23 $6.23

-33.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.55

$15.17 $15.17

-14.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.15

$13.11 $13.11

-38.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.89

$23.12 $23.12

-22.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$7.83 $7.83

-71.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.31 $2.31

-24.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$6.46 $6.46

-71.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$3.24 $3.24

-16.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$3.35 $3.35

-47.16%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.72

$2.70 $2.70

-28.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$2.52 $2.52

-42.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$1.95 $1.95

-61.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.91

$11.94 $11.94

-44.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

$20.02 $20.02

-71.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.75 $1.75

-26.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.90

$4.07 $4.07

-47.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.04

$3.66 $3.66

-37.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.10

$188 $188

-76.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.54

$3.23 $3.23

23.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.85 $1.85

-65.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.81

$29.23 $29.23

-35.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.02

$1.61 $1.61

41.61%

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

$33.4K €29.6K

$27.8K $27.8K

19.92%

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

$38.5K €34.2K

$26.5K $26.5K

45.58%

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

$158 €141

$267 $267

-40.78%

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

$17.54 €15.58

$49.28 $49.28

-64.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.70

$67.0 $67.0

-53.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.66

$111 $111

-59.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.86

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.51

$16.31 $16.31

-41.26%

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

$674 €598

$2,485 $2,485

-72.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.6K

$42.4K $42.4K

-55.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.8

$47.13 $47.13

116.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.77

$30.55 $30.55

50.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.8

$66.4 $66.4

53.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$49.98 $49.98

144.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,457

$3,053 $3,053

-46.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,055

$2,563 $2,563

-53.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,509

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,793

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,960

$10.9K $10.9K

-28.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,176

$9,616 $9,616

-51.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,499

$6,798 $6,798

-75.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

6.82

-43.99%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Foster City, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Foster City, CA

$2.6K 60.2% 116% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Foster City, CA

$478 11.2% 74.2% $204

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Foster City, CA

$384 9% 56.6% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Foster City, CA

$383 9% 85.3% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Foster City, CA

$87 2.1% 47.9% $80

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Foster City, CA

$144 3.4% 125% $80

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Foster City, CA

$215 5.1% 256% $155

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,641 in Lisbon versus $3,053 in Foster City, CA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Foster City, CA are about 4 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61 in Lisbon versus $111 in Foster City, CA. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $478 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Foster City, CA

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

19:11 7:11 PM

8 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

30,567

💱 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 Foster City, CA 9,120 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

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Lisbon
Foster City, 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 Foster City, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Foster City, CA is pricier by about 93%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,309 per month in Lisbon and $6,382 in Foster City, CA. 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 $1,641 there versus $3,053 in Foster City, CA.

Public transport costs about 77% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $674 per month in Lisbon and $2,485 in Foster City, CA. 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 $2,206, than in Foster City, CA at $4,255. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Foster City, CA 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.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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