Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ithaca, NY

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,893 in Ithaca, NY, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
139

Cost of Living Index in Ithaca, NY
Learn more

Ithaca, NY Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Ithaca, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$2,893

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Ithaca, NY

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 Ithaca, NY actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $2,893 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Ithaca, NY $2,893

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $3,843 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Ithaca, NY $3,843

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $4,792 in Ithaca, NY, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Ithaca, NY $4,792

Lisbon is about 24% cheaper than Ithaca, NY, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Ithaca, NY sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Ithaca, NY by 113%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$22.77 $22.77

-26.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$79.3 $79.3

-22.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$10.83 $10.83

4.89%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$5.09 $5.09

-41.65%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$2.63 $2.63

-12.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.04 $2.04

-14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$5.06 $5.06

-32.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$9.39 $9.39

-64.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.02 $1.02

13.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$3.21 $3.21

-40.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$7.09 $7.09

-78.70%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$3.96 $3.96

1.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$14.66 $14.66

-11.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$6.50 $6.50

19.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$15.45 $15.45

14.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$4.85 $4.85

-52.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$1.68 $1.68

2.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$5.45 $5.45

-65.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$4.82 $4.82

-46.27%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$3.15 $3.15

-42.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$3.72 $3.72

-47.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.29 $2.29

-35.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.06 $2.06

-65.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

$14.69 $14.69

-55.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$14.20 $14.20

-60.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.85 $1.85

-26.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$4.00 $4.00

-46.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$1.54 $1.54

51.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

$45.49 $45.49

-1.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$4.98 $4.98

-22.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.42 $1.42

-24.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$29.46 $29.46

-44.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.06 $1.06

107.55%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$27.2K $27.2K

25.93%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

45.55%

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

$161 €145

$167 $167

-3.52%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$46.41 $46.41

-60.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$50.5 $50.5

-35.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

$34.65 $34.65

28.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$10.82 $10.82

-11.28%

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

$668 €600

$1,518 $1,518

-56.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$16.9K $16.9K

4.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

$47.25 $47.25

115.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

$39.06 $39.06

13.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$81.2 $81.2

21.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$107 $107

15.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$2,256 $2,256

-28.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$1,661 $1,661

-28.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

$3,044 $3,044

-7.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

$1,997 $1,997

0.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

$2,681 $2,681

192.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

$2,035 $2,035

124.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$3,468 $3,468

-54.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.46

-40.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ithaca, NY: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Ithaca, NY

$1.7K 57.4% 39.6% $471

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Ithaca, NY

$386 13.3% 41.7% $114

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Ithaca, NY

$339 11.7% 39.5% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Ithaca, NY

$264 9.1% 24.3% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Ithaca, NY

$124 4.3% 25.6% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Ithaca, NY

$56 2% 11.7% $7.5

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Ithaca, NY

$64 2.2% 0.8% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $2,256 in Ithaca, NY. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Ithaca, NY are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $79 in Ithaca, NY. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $386 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Ithaca, NY

🕒 Local time

20:25 8:25 PM

16:25 4:25 PM

4 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

22,283

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Ithaca, NY 5,560 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Ithaca, NY

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 Ithaca, NY: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $2,893 in Ithaca, NY – Lisbon comes out roughly 24% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $4,340 in Ithaca, NY. 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 $1,608 there versus $2,256 in Ithaca, NY.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $79 in Ithaca, NY. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 42% more in Ithaca, NY, though the gap depends on what you buy.

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, Ithaca, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.