Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Monterey Park, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $2,949 in Monterey Park, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 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
140

Cost of Living Index in Monterey Park, CA
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Monterey Park, CA Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Monterey Park, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Monterey Park, CA

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 Monterey Park, CA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $2,949 in Monterey Park, CA.

Lisbon $2,206
Monterey Park, CA $2,949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $4,287 in Monterey Park, CA.

Lisbon $3,276
Monterey Park, CA $4,287

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $5,625 in Monterey Park, CA.

Lisbon $4,346
Monterey Park, CA $5,625

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 25% less than in Monterey Park, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Monterey Park, CA 118% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.00

$28.42 $28.42

-40.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.3

$82.7 $82.7

-26.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.77

$15.16 $15.16

-27.57%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.71

$5.92 $5.92

-48.48%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$3.04 $3.04

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$2.73 $2.73

-38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.06

$8.55 $8.55

-59.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.48

$9.86 $9.86

-60.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.27 $1.27

-9.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$4.87 $4.87

-61.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$4.64 $4.64

-67.67%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.66

$5.42 $5.42

-23.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.57

$10.88 $10.88

19.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.16

$8.59 $8.59

-6.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.92

$20.16 $20.16

-11.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$4.67 $4.67

-51.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.20 $2.20

-20.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$4.09 $4.09

-55.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$5.64 $5.64

-52.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$3.41 $3.41

-48.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.72

$2.80 $2.80

-30.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.95 $1.95

-25.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$2.62 $2.62

-70.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.92

$11.84 $11.84

-43.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.02

$14.73 $14.73

-61.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$2.52 $2.52

-48.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.90

$2.78 $2.78

-23.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.76 $1.76

30.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.17

$56.7 $56.7

-22.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.54

$3.75 $3.75

6.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$2.22 $2.22

-71.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.84

$38.53 $38.53

-50.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.50 $1.50

52.00%

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

$33.4K €29.7K

$28.4K $28.4K

17.68%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$26.6K $26.6K

44.64%

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

$158 €141

$269 $269

-41.10%

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

$17.54 €15.61

$85.7 $85.7

-79.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.75

$78.1 $78.1

-60.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.73

$44.33 $44.33

0.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.89

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.52

$18.34 $18.34

-47.76%

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

$674 €599

$1,186 $1,186

-43.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.7K

$13.0K $13.0K

44.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.9

$63.2 $63.2

61.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.85

$55.4 $55.4

-17.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.0

$121 $121

-15.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$215 $215

-43.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,460

$1,565 $1,565

4.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,057

$1,302 $1,302

-8.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,514

$2,619 $2,619

7.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,796

$2,077 $2,077

-2.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,973

$2,585 $2,585

203.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,183

$2,343 $2,343

100.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,501

$1,626 $1,626

3.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

6.31

-39.46%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Monterey Park, CA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Monterey Park, CA

$1.3K 44.1% 9.6% $114

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Monterey Park, CA

$421 14.3% 53.5% $147

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Monterey Park, CA

$429 14.6% 75.1% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Monterey Park, CA

$432 14.7% 109% $225

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Monterey Park, CA

$205 6.9% 22.1% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Monterey Park, CA

$81 2.8% 27% $17

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Monterey Park, CA

$79 2.7% 30.2% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $1,565 in Monterey Park, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $83 in Monterey Park, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $421 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Monterey Park, CA

🕒 Local time

09:29 9:29 AM

01:29 1:29 AM

8 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

60,269

💱 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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Between locations

Lisbon Monterey Park, CA 9,110 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Monterey Park, CA

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Monterey Park, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $2,949 in Monterey Park, CA, so Lisbon is about 25% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $1,565 in Monterey Park, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $1,186 in Monterey Park, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Monterey Park, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 Monterey Park, CA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.