Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hackensack, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,387 in Hackensack, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Hackensack, NJ, United States
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Hackensack, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$3,387
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,387 in Hackensack, NJ.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Hackensack, NJ $3,387

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $5,155 in Hackensack, NJ.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Hackensack, NJ $5,155

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $6,923 in Hackensack, NJ.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Hackensack, NJ $6,923

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 35% less than in Hackensack, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Hackensack, NJ 149% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Hackensack, NJ
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$25.17 $25.17
-33.85%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$98.4 $98.4
-37.27%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$13.09 $13.09
-13.22%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$5.44 $5.44
-45.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.39 $2.39
-4.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.55 $1.55
12.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$7.83 $7.83
-56.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$7.96 $7.96
-58.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Hackensack, NJ
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.28 $1.28
-9.38%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$4.38 $4.38
-56.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$6.08 $6.08
-75.16%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$5.93 $5.93
-32.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$12.53 $12.53
3.27%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$7.97 $7.97
-2.51%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$17.19 $17.19
3.32%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$5.48 $5.48
-58.03%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.71 $1.71
1.17%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$4.30 $4.30
-56.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$5.39 $5.39
-51.95%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$3.12 $3.12
-41.67%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$2.97 $2.97
-33.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$2.81 $2.81
-47.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$2.93 $2.93
-75.43%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$11.70 $11.70
-43.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$14.82 $14.82
-62.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.75 $1.75
-22.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$3.60 $3.60
-40.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Hackensack, NJ
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$3.60 $3.60
-35.28%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
$59.2 $59.2
-24.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$3.08 $3.08
25.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$2.10 $2.10
-49.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$24.30 $24.30
-32.26%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.08 $1.08
103.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$27.8K $27.8K
23.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$25.5K $25.5K
51.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Hackensack, NJ
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$213 $213
-24.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$54.2 $54.2
-66.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$49.74 $49.74
-34.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Hackensack, NJ
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$45.08 $45.08
-1.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$20.12 $20.12
-52.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Hackensack, NJ
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$1,965 $1,965
-66.02%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$16.0K $16.0K
9.92%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Hackensack, NJ
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$44.27 $44.27
130.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$56.8 $56.8
-21.70%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$87.9 $87.9
12.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$102 $102
20.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Hackensack, NJ
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$2,356 $2,356
-31.74%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$1,968 $1,968
-39.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$4,211 $4,211
-33.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$3,684 $3,684
-45.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$3,608 $3,608
117.29%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$3,238 $3,238
41.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Hackensack, NJ
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$6,137 $6,137
-74.34%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.8
-43.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Hackensack, NJ: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Hackensack, NJ
$2K 65.4% $778
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Hackensack, NJ
$423 55.3% $150
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Hackensack, NJ
$377 55.3% $134
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Hackensack, NJ
$316 49% $104
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Hackensack, NJ
$131 21% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Hackensack, NJ
$85 33.9% $22
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Hackensack, NJ
$87 37.9% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $2,356 in Hackensack, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

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

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $98 in Hackensack, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $423 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇺🇸 Hackensack, NJ
🕒 Local time
02:27 2:27 AM
21:27 9:27 PM
5 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
44,756
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Hackensack, NJ 5,420 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Hackensack, 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 Hackensack, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Hackensack, NJ?
Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Hackensack, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Lisbon or in Hackensack, NJ?
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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lisbon compared to Hackensack, NJ?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $2,356 in Hackensack, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Lisbon and in Hackensack, NJ?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $1,965 in Hackensack, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Lisbon or in Hackensack, NJ?
Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Hackensack, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Lisbon or in Hackensack, NJ?
At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,387 in Hackensack, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Hackensack, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lisbon or Hackensack, NJ?
Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value at $2,210 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.
How safe is Lisbon compared to Hackensack, NJ?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Hackensack, NJ are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Hackensack, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?