Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Middlesex, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $2,599 in Middlesex, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Middlesex, NJ
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Middlesex, NJ Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Middlesex, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,599

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $2,599 in Middlesex, NJ.

Lisbon $2,206
Middlesex, NJ $2,599

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $3,818 in Middlesex, NJ.

Lisbon $3,276
Middlesex, NJ $3,818

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $5,036 in Middlesex, NJ.

Lisbon $4,346
Middlesex, NJ $5,036

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Middlesex, NJ 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €14.98

$20.26 $20.26

-16.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.2

$75.5 $75.5

-19.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.75

$13.20 $13.20

-16.82%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.71

$5.26 $5.26

-42.02%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$2.79 $2.79

-18.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.49

$2.52 $2.52

-33.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.05

$5.93 $5.93

-41.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.47

$8.25 $8.25

-52.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.00 $1.00

15.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$4.57 $4.57

-58.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.33

$4.44 $4.44

-66.22%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.66

$6.43 $6.43

-35.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.55

$10.38 $10.38

25.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.15

$10.83 $10.83

-25.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.89

$19.37 $19.37

-7.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$5.59 $5.59

-59.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.64 $1.64

6.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$3.37 $3.37

-45.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$3.03 $3.03

-11.22%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$2.21 $2.21

-19.91%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.72

$2.48 $2.48

-21.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$2.64 $2.64

-44.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$2.94 $2.94

-74.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.91

$13.89 $13.89

-52.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

$17.05 $17.05

-66.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.88 $1.88

-31.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.85 $2.85

-24.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.04

$2.22 $2.22

3.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.10

$62.7 $62.7

-29.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.54

$3.83 $3.83

3.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$2.21 $2.21

-71.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.81

$48.86 $48.86

-61.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.02

$0.96 $0.96

137.50%

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

$33.4K €29.6K

$27.8K $27.8K

19.84%

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

$38.5K €34.2K

$26.7K $26.7K

44.03%

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

$158 €141

$202 $202

-21.71%

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

$17.54 €15.58

$36.43 $36.43

-51.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.70

$60.6 $60.6

-48.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.66

$37.71 $37.71

18.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.86

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.51

$12.52 $12.52

-23.48%

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

$674 €598

$2,096 $2,096

-67.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.6K

$34.8K $34.8K

-46.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.8

$38.26 $38.26

167.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.77

$16.02 $16.02

186.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.8

$99.6 $99.6

2.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$117 $117

4.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,457

$2,671 $2,671

-38.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,055

$1,281 $1,281

-7.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,509

$2,538 $2,538

11.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,793

$2,130 $2,130

-5.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,960

$3,053 $3,053

156.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,176

$2,456 $2,456

91.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,499

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

6.51

-41.32%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Middlesex, NJ: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Middlesex, NJ

$1.3K 49.3% 7.9% $94

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Middlesex, NJ

$416 16% 51.4% $141

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Middlesex, NJ

$332 12.8% 35.4% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Middlesex, NJ

$299 11.5% 44.6% $92

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Middlesex, NJ

$122 4.7% 27.3% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Middlesex, NJ

$63 2.4% 1.6% $1

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Middlesex, NJ

$86 3.3% 43% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $2,671 in Middlesex, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $75 in Middlesex, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $416 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Middlesex, NJ

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

11:57 11:57 AM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

13,746

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Middlesex, NJ 5,470 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

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Lisbon
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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 Middlesex, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $2,599 in Middlesex, NJ, so Lisbon is about 15% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You’d need roughly $3,309 in Lisbon and $3,899 in Middlesex, NJ to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $2,671 in Middlesex, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $2,096 in Middlesex, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Middlesex, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Middlesex, NJ are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Middlesex, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.