Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mountain View, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $4,650 in Mountain View, CA, rent and utilities included – about $29,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Mountain View, CA, United States
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Mountain View, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$4,650
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $4,650 in Mountain View, CA.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Mountain View, CA $4,650

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $6,615 in Mountain View, CA.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Mountain View, CA $6,615

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $8,580 in Mountain View, CA.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Mountain View, CA $8,580

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 52% less than in Mountain View, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Mountain View, CA 242% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Mountain View, CA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.91
$20.34 $20.34
-18.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$101 $101
-38.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.17
$11.96 $11.96
-5.02%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$5.21 $5.21
-42.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.73 $2.73
-16.12%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.72 $2.72
-36.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$7.15 $7.15
-52.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.96
$9.99 $9.99
-66.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Mountain View, CA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.27 $1.27
-8.66%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$4.18 $4.18
-54.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$4.68 $4.68
-67.74%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$5.52 $5.52
-27.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$16.21 $16.21
-20.17%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.96
$11.71 $11.71
-33.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.91
$12.96 $12.96
37.04%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$5.39 $5.39
-57.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.88 $1.88
-7.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$4.43 $4.43
-58.01%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$5.69 $5.69
-54.48%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$3.94 $3.94
-53.81%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$5.65 $5.65
-65.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$2.43 $2.43
-39.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$2.62 $2.62
-72.52%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$11.63 $11.63
-43.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$12.92 $12.92
-56.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.15 $2.15
-36.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.45 $2.45
-12.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Mountain View, CA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$2.47 $2.47
-5.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.01
$88.6 $88.6
-49.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$3.91 $3.91
-1.53%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$4.87 $4.87
-78.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.74
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.57 $1.57
40.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$27.2K $27.2K
25.51%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$26.3K $26.3K
47.27%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Mountain View, CA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$288 $288
-44.10%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.49
$44.81 $44.81
-58.92%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.32
$63.9 $63.9
-48.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Mountain View, CA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.90
$78.6 $78.6
-43.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.10
$11.81 $11.81
61.73%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$17.10 $17.10
-43.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Mountain View, CA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$2,141 $2,141
-68.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$23.6K $23.6K
-25.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Mountain View, CA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$52.7 $52.7
93.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.82
$99.5 $99.5
-55.29%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.2
$151 $151
-34.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$149 $149
-16.74%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Mountain View, CA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,440
$3,529 $3,529
-54.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$3,039 $3,039
-60.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,519
$4,702 $4,702
-40.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,803
$5,009 $5,009
-59.81%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,021
$11.9K $11.9K
-34.26%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,098
$10.1K $10.1K
-54.58%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Mountain View, CA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$9,788 $9,788
-83.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.14
-37.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Mountain View, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Mountain View, CA
$3K 155% $1.8K
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Mountain View, CA
$432 58.5% $159
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Mountain View, CA
$339 39.6% $96
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Mountain View, CA
$397 87% $185
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Mountain View, CA
$203 22.6% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Mountain View, CA
$113 77% $49
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Mountain View, CA
$127 101% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $3,529 in Mountain View, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mountain View, CA pays about 6.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $101 in Mountain View, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $432 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇺🇸 Mountain View, CA
🕒 Local time
00:54 12:54 AM
16:54 4:54 PM
8 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
82,739
💱 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 Mountain View, CA 9,130 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Mountain View, CA

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 Mountain View, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Mountain View, CA?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $4,650 in Mountain View, CA, so Lisbon is about 52% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 84% 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 do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Mountain View, CA?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $3,529 in Mountain View, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Mountain View, CA?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $2,141 in Mountain View, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Mountain View, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $4,650 in Mountain View, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Mountain View, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Where should families live: Lisbon or Mountain View, CA?
For families, Lisbon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Mountain View, CA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Is Lisbon or Mountain View, CA safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Mountain View, CA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Mountain View, CA?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Mountain View, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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