Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and North East, MD

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,506 in North East, MD, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
North East, MD
🇺🇸 United States
$2,506
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in North East, MD

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 East, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,506 in North East, MD.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • North East, MD $2,506

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $3,589 in North East, MD.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • North East, MD $3,589

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,672 in North East, MD.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • North East, MD $4,672

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 12% less than in North East, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, North East, MD 85% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
North East, MD
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$15.08 $15.08
13.00%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$74.6 $74.6
-16.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$10.23 $10.23
7.72%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$5.24 $5.24
-40.46%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.33 $2.33
-2.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.75 $1.75
-0.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$6.90 $6.90
-50.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$4.47 $4.47
-16.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
North East, MD
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.17 $1.17
-
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.94 $2.94
-36.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$2.68 $2.68
-42.54%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$3.82 $3.82
6.28%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$9.38 $9.38
37.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$9.59 $9.59
-17.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$18.48 $18.48
-4.55%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$4.64 $4.64
-51.29%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.32 $1.32
32.58%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$4.34 $4.34
-56.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$4.00 $4.00
-36.00%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.56 $2.56
-27.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$2.47 $2.47
-20.24%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$2.55 $2.55
-43.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$1.79 $1.79
-56.98%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$13.99 $13.99
-52.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$14.44 $14.44
-60.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$2.43 $2.43
-43.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$3.64 $3.64
-42.03%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
North East, MD
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$2.26 $2.26
2.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$5.03 $5.03
-21.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$1.12 $1.12
-6.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$23.07 $23.07
-25.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.05 $1.05
108.57%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$33.3K $33.3K
1.60%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$25.4K $25.4K
50.50%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
North East, MD
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$294 $294
-44.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$49.39 $49.39
-62.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$60.8 $60.8
-45.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
North East, MD
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$38.46 $38.46
19.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$16.64 $16.64
-41.41%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
North East, MD
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$1,948 $1,948
-64.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$27.8K $27.8K
-36.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
North East, MD
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$46.28 $46.28
124.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$39.54 $39.54
16.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$86.4 $86.4
15.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$132 $132
-5.23%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
North East, MD
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$1,767 $1,767
-10.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$1,241 $1,241
-5.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$2,682 $2,682
6.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$1,984 $1,984
0.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$2,643 $2,643
194.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$2,189 $2,189
101.81%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
North East, MD
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.46
-40.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for North East, MD: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
North East, MD
$1.2K 6.1% $72
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
North East, MD
$360 31.7% $87
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
North East, MD
$274 10.7% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
North East, MD
$404 87.7% $189
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
North East, MD
$137 18.9% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
North East, MD
$72 9.7% $6.4
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
North East, MD
$20 * 68.8% $43

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 $1,767 in North East, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $75.0 in North East, MD for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $360 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇺🇸 North East, MD
🕒 Local time
03:14 3:14 AM
22:14 10:14 PM
5 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
3,600
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon North East, MD 5,620 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • North East, MD

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 North East, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in North East, MD?
Lisbon and North East, MD differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $2,506 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to North East, MD?
You'd need roughly $3,302 in Lisbon and $3,760 in North East, MD 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in North East, MD?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,767 in North East, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in North East, MD. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or North East, MD?
All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $2,506 in North East, MD – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,506 in North East, MD, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in North East, MD. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and North East, MD?
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.
Is Lisbon or North East, MD safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and North East, MD are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or North East, MD?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in North East, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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