Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Harlingen, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Harlingen, TX: $1,864 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Harlingen, TX, United States
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Harlingen, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$1,864
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Harlingen, TX

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 Harlingen, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,864 in Harlingen, TX.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Harlingen, TX $1,864

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,525 in Harlingen, TX.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Harlingen, TX $2,525

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,187 in Harlingen, TX.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Harlingen, TX $3,187

Living in Lisbon is roughly 19% more expensive than in Harlingen, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Harlingen, TX 37% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Harlingen, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$12.35 $12.35
34.82%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$47.75 $47.75
29.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$8.06 $8.06
40.94%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$4.40 $4.40
-32.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$1.98 $1.98
15.66%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.01 $2.01
-13.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$4.89 $4.89
-30.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$4.58 $4.58
-27.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Harlingen, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$0.97 $0.97
19.59%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$2.96 $2.96
-35.47%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$4.58 $4.58
-67.03%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$3.48 $3.48
15.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$9.91 $9.91
30.58%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$12.63 $12.63
-38.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$15.03 $15.03
18.16%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$5.00 $5.00
-54.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.32 $1.32
31.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$3.30 $3.30
-43.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$2.08 $2.08
24.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$3.03 $3.03
-39.93%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$2.66 $2.66
-25.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.80 $1.80
-18.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$2.11 $2.11
-65.88%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$9.79 $9.79
-32.79%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$15.85 $15.85
-64.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.12 $2.12
-35.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.28 $2.28
-6.14%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Harlingen, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$4.17 $4.17
-7.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.78 $0.78
37.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$0.84 $0.84
161.90%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$29.4K $29.4K
16.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$24.5K $24.5K
57.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Harlingen, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$163 $163
-1.23%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$36.82 $36.82
-50.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$49.96 $49.96
-34.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Harlingen, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$12.10 $12.10
-20.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Harlingen, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$779 $779
-14.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Harlingen, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$77.8 $77.8
31.15%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$44.87 $44.87
-0.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$75.6 $75.6
30.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$94.2 $94.2
31.26%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Harlingen, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$840 $840
91.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$865 $865
37.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$1,375 $1,375
104.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$1,038 $1,038
93.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$1,900 $1,900
312.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$1,892 $1,892
141.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Harlingen, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$4,073 $4,073
-61.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.48
-40.59%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Harlingen, TX: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Harlingen, TX
$865 27.3% $325
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Harlingen, TX
$360 32.1% $88
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Harlingen, TX
$225 7.1% $17
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Harlingen, TX
$250 17.7% $38
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Harlingen, TX
$132 20.7% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Harlingen, TX
$24 * 62% $40
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Harlingen, TX
$8 * 87.3% $55

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $840 in Harlingen, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Harlingen, TX pays about 2.6 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $48 in Harlingen, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $360, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇺🇸 Harlingen, TX
🕒 Local time
08:03 8:03 AM
02:03 2:03 AM
6 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
71,829
💱 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 Harlingen, TX 8,110 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Harlingen, TX

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 Harlingen, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Harlingen, TX?
Harlingen, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Harlingen, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Lisbon or in Harlingen, TX?
On paper, salaries run 61% 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 Harlingen, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $840 in Harlingen, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Lisbon and in Harlingen, TX?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $779 in Harlingen, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Lisbon and in Harlingen, TX?
Dining out is cheaper in Harlingen, TX – a meal for two runs $48 versus $62 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Lisbon or Harlingen, TX?
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.

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