Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rochester Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rochester

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,164 in Rochester.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,282 in Rochester.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,401 in Rochester.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 2% more expensive than Rochester, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Rochester 61% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$24.10 £17.91

-33.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$96.6 £71.8

-32.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$10.17 £7.56

3.34%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.53 £3.37

-36.64%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.30 £1.71

-2.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.76 £2.05

-45.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$6.07 £4.51

-42.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$5.33 £3.96

-27.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.38 £1.03

-17.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.37 £1.02

27.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.65 £1.22

6.67%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.00 £2.23

7.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$4.61 £3.43

192.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.37 £5.48

7.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$11.68 £8.68

35.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.75 £2.04

-16.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.55 £1.16

9.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.44 £1.81

-17.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.39 £1.77

2.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.48 £1.10

24.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.29 £0.96

55.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.99 £0.73

94.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.58 £1.17

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$20.32 £15.10

-67.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$10.75 £7.99

-46.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$2.25 £1.67

-39.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.39 £2.52

-12.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.44 £2.56

-31.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$88.5 £65.8

-48.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.16 £3.09

3.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.68 £1.25

-51.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$14.74 £10.96

24.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.90 £1.41

8.42%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$33.8K £25.1K

1.39%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$32.1K £23.8K

22.56%

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

$148 €127

$189 £141

-21.87%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$19.22 £14.29

6.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$30.60 £22.74

29.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$51.5 £38.26

-7.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$20.46 £15.21

-7.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$13.62 £10.12

-32.60%

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

$614 €528

$493 £367

24.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$25.9K £19.3K

-38.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$68.8 £51.2

52.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$40.98 £30.46

2.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$60.8 £45.18

54.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$97.0 £72.1

23.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$1,203 £894

35.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$1,008 £749

24.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,825 £1,357

66.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,696 £1,260

19.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$5,040 £3,746

54.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$4,721 £3,509

-9.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$3,299 £2,452

-51.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.53

-31.10%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Rochester: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,203 in Rochester. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rochester pays 106% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $97.0 in Rochester. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $246, with Rochester cheaper for home cooking.

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 Rochester: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Rochester differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,164 including rent). Rochester is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rochester earns 106% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,203 in Rochester. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $493 in Rochester. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 10% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,164 in Rochester versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rochester but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rochester 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 Rochester 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 Rochester gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.