Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lancaster, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,599 in Lancaster, PA, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Lancaster, PA
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Lancaster, PA Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Lancaster, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Lancaster, PA

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 Lancaster, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,599 in Lancaster, PA.

Lisbon $2,202
Lancaster, PA $2,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $3,784 in Lancaster, PA.

Lisbon $3,274
Lancaster, PA $3,784

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,968 in Lancaster, PA.

Lisbon $4,346
Lancaster, PA $4,968

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 15% less than in Lancaster, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Lancaster, PA 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$22.42 $22.42

-24.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$66.1 $66.1

-5.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$12.13 $12.13

-9.15%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$5.35 $5.35

-41.68%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$2.39 $2.39

-5.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.08 $2.08

-16.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$5.87 $5.87

-41.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$6.86 $6.86

-45.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.12 $1.12

4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.84 $2.84

-34.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$3.94 $3.94

-60.91%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$4.55 $4.55

-10.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$13.75 $13.75

-6.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$9.10 $9.10

-13.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$14.60 $14.60

20.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$10.16 $10.16

-77.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.46 $1.46

19.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$4.90 $4.90

-61.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$4.99 $4.99

-48.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.15 $2.15

-13.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.73 $2.73

-27.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.45 $2.45

-40.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$2.20 $2.20

-65.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$12.00 $12.00

-44.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$11.97 $11.97

-52.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.63 $2.63

-47.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$3.15 $3.15

-33.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.73 $1.73

34.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$41.78 $41.78

6.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$4.97 $4.97

-20.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$3.06 $3.06

-65.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$34.67 $34.67

-50.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.01 $1.01

116.83%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$33.6K $33.6K

0.60%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$26.4K $26.4K

45.08%

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

$164 €146

$276 $276

-40.63%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$68.0 $68.0

-72.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$78.2 $78.2

-57.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$47.66 $47.66

-3.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$45.60 $45.60

-59.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$16.75 $16.75

-41.79%

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

$684 €608

$566 $566

20.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$66.0K $66.0K

-73.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$59.7 $59.7

73.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$49.15 $49.15

-6.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$95.0 $95.0

5.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$103 $103

21.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$1,371 $1,371

15.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,148 $1,148

1.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$2,119 $2,119

34.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$1,875 $1,875

6.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$2,350 $2,350

231.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$2,102 $2,102

110.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$3,999 $3,999

-60.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.26

-38.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lancaster, PA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Lancaster, PA

$1.1K 44.2% 1.8% $21

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Lancaster, PA

$400 15.4% 46.4% $127

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Lancaster, PA

$341 13.1% 37.8% $94

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Lancaster, PA

$422 16.2% 96.1% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Lancaster, PA

$138 5.3% 18.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Lancaster, PA

$81 3.1% 24.1% $16

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Lancaster, PA

$69 2.7% 9.6% $6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,371 in Lancaster, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lancaster, PA pays 150% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $66.0 in Lancaster, PA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $400 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Lancaster, PA

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

22:14 10:14 PM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

59,322

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Lisbon Lancaster, PA 5,630 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Lancaster, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 18% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 150% lower in Lancaster, PA. 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: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,371 in Lancaster, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $66.0 in Lancaster, PA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $2,599 in Lancaster, PA – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,599 in Lancaster, PA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Lancaster, PA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lisbon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lancaster, PA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Lancaster, PA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Lancaster, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.