Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and North Brunswick, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in North Brunswick, NJ
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North Brunswick, NJ Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

North Brunswick, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ.

Lisbon $2,202
North Brunswick, NJ $2,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $3,632 in North Brunswick, NJ.

Lisbon $3,274
North Brunswick, NJ $3,632

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,623 in North Brunswick, NJ.

Lisbon $4,346
North Brunswick, NJ $4,623

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 17% less than in North Brunswick, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, North Brunswick, NJ 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$20.38 $20.38

-16.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$60.4 $60.4

3.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$12.05 $12.05

-8.55%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$3.04 $3.04

2.63%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$2.68 $2.68

-15.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.18 $1.18

47.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$6.64 $6.64

-48.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$5.94 $5.94

-37.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.11 $1.11

5.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.60 $1.60

16.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$5.62 $5.62

-72.60%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$4.59 $4.59

-11.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$13.21 $13.21

-2.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$17.20 $17.20

-54.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$15.96 $15.96

10.53%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.96 $3.96

-42.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.86 $1.86

-5.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$4.27 $4.27

-55.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$6.02 $6.02

-57.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$3.23 $3.23

-42.72%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$3.37 $3.37

-41.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.32 $2.32

-37.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$2.04 $2.04

-62.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$14.66 $14.66

-54.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$18.04 $18.04

-68.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$2.60 $2.60

-47.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$4.11 $4.11

-48.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.99 $1.99

16.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$2.81 $2.81

40.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$3.67 $3.67

-71.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$49.62 $49.62

-65.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$0.99 $0.99

121.21%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$27.4K $27.4K

23.33%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$26.5K $26.5K

44.48%

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

$164 €146

$127 $127

29.02%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$47.32 $47.32

-60.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$56.7 $56.7

-41.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$47.51 $47.51

-3.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$13.03 $13.03

-25.17%

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

$684 €608

$1,418 $1,418

-51.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$23.3K $23.3K

-24.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$54.1 $54.1

91.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$50.5 $50.5

-8.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$122 $122

-18.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$132 $132

-5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$1,430 $1,430

11.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,423 $1,423

-17.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$2,221 $2,221

28.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$1,902 $1,902

4.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$2,715 $2,715

187.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$2,046 $2,046

115.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

7.01

-45.08%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for North Brunswick, NJ: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

North Brunswick, NJ

$1.4K 53.9% 21.7% $254

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

North Brunswick, NJ

$427 16.2% 56.4% $154

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

North Brunswick, NJ

$296 11.2% 19.7% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

North Brunswick, NJ

$231 8.8% 7.3% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

North Brunswick, NJ

$161 6.1% 4.2% $7.1

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

North Brunswick, NJ

$74 2.8% 12.5% $8.2

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

North Brunswick, NJ

$29 * 1.1% 53.7% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,430 in North Brunswick, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $60.0 in North Brunswick, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $427, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 North Brunswick, NJ

🕒 Local time

05:35 5:35 AM

00:35 12:35 AM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

43,905

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon North Brunswick, NJ 5,470 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

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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 North Brunswick, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and North Brunswick, NJ differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $2,641 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,302 in Lisbon and $3,962 in North Brunswick, 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: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,430 in North Brunswick, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in North Brunswick, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,641 in North Brunswick, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in North Brunswick, NJ. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 North Brunswick, NJ 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 20% less than in North Brunswick, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.