Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rutherford, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $2,813 in Rutherford, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Rutherford, NJ, United States
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Rutherford, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$2,813
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $2,813 in Rutherford, NJ.

  • Lisbon $2,206
  • Rutherford, NJ $2,813

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $3,894 in Rutherford, NJ.

  • Lisbon $3,276
  • Rutherford, NJ $3,894

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,975 in Rutherford, NJ.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Rutherford, NJ $4,975

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 22% less than in Rutherford, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Rutherford, NJ 108% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Rutherford, NJ
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €15.01
$19.07 $19.07
-11.59%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0 €54.4
$80.1 $80.1
-23.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 €9.78
$11.96 $11.96
-8.19%
Cappuccino
$3.05 €2.72
$5.51 $5.51
-44.65%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.48 $2.48
-8.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.50
$1.52 $1.52
10.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 €3.06
$8.01 $8.01
-57.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 €3.48
$6.82 $6.82
-42.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Rutherford, NJ
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.30 $1.30
-11.54%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 €1.68
$3.53 $3.53
-46.46%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$5.95 $5.95
-74.79%
Eggs
$4.12 €3.66
$6.33 $6.33
-34.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.01 €11.58
$14.13 $14.13
-7.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 €7.16
$10.31 $10.31
-22.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.89 €15.93
$20.20 $20.20
-11.44%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$6.03 $6.03
-62.35%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.55
$3.59 $3.59
-51.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$4.16 $4.16
-56.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.39
$5.28 $5.28
-49.05%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 €1.57
$2.98 $2.98
-40.60%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 €1.72
$3.12 $3.12
-37.82%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$2.60 $2.60
-43.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.68
$2.52 $2.52
-69.84%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.93
$14.59 $14.59
-54.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.02
$15.19 $15.19
-62.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$1.76 $1.76
-26.70%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.90
$3.31 $3.31
-35.35%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Rutherford, NJ
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 €2.05
$2.15 $2.15
6.98%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.02 €39.19
$61.5 $61.5
-28.40%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.98 €3.55
$2.94 $2.94
35.37%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 €0.57
$2.22 $2.22
-71.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.93 €16.85
$41.56 $41.56
-54.45%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.11 $1.11
105.41%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.7K
$27.2K $27.2K
22.72%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.3K
$25.7K $25.7K
49.68%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Rutherford, NJ
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €141
$170 $170
-7.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54 €15.62
$50.7 $50.7
-65.42%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18 €27.77
$49.21 $49.21
-36.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Rutherford, NJ
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.64 €39.75
$36.87 $36.87
21.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98 €16.90
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.58 €8.53
$19.64 $19.64
-51.22%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Rutherford, NJ
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$674 €600
$1,719 $1,719
-60.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K €16.7K
$20.8K $20.8K
-9.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Rutherford, NJ
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.0
$51.0 $51.0
100.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90 €40.87
$76.9 $76.9
-40.27%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €91.0
$87.4 $87.4
16.89%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €109
$105 $105
16.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Rutherford, NJ
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,641 €1,461
$1,390 $1,390
18.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,187 €1,057
$1,466 $1,466
-19.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,825 €2,515
$2,838 $2,838
-0.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,018 €1,797
$1,920 $1,920
5.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,836 €6,977
$2,854 $2,854
174.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,701 €4,186
$2,404 $2,404
95.57%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Rutherford, NJ
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,687 €1,502
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
6.72
-43.15%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Rutherford, NJ: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Rutherford, NJ
$1.5K 23.5% $279
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275
Rutherford, NJ
$448 63.3% $174
Eating Out
Lisbon
$245
Rutherford, NJ
$324 32.2% $79
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207
Rutherford, NJ
$270 30.5% $63
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Rutherford, NJ
$144 14.1% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Rutherford, NJ
$76 19.4% $12
Getting Around
Lisbon
$60
Rutherford, NJ
$84 39.2% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $1,390 in Rutherford, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $80 in Rutherford, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $448 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇺🇸 Rutherford, NJ
🕒 Local time
04:39 4:39 AM
23:39 11:39 PM
5 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
17,871
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.89 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Rutherford, NJ 5,430 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Rutherford, NJ

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 Rutherford, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Rutherford, NJ?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $2,813 in Rutherford, NJ, so Lisbon is about 22% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Rutherford, NJ?
You’d need roughly $3,309 in Lisbon and $4,220 in Rutherford, 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Rutherford, NJ?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $1,390 in Rutherford, NJ. 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 Rutherford, NJ?
Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $1,719 in Rutherford, NJ. 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 63% higher in Rutherford, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Rutherford, NJ?
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.

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