Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salem, OH

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,394 in Salem, OH, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Salem, OH
🇺🇸 United States
$2,394
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Salem, OH

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 Salem, OH actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,394 in Salem, OH.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Salem, OH $2,394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $3,399 in Salem, OH.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Salem, OH $3,399

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,405 in Salem, OH.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Salem, OH $4,405

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 8% less than in Salem, OH, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Salem, OH 77% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Salem, OH
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$13.83 $13.83
23.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$49.28 $49.28
26.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$10.20 $10.20
8.04%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$3.08 $3.08
1.30%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.13 $2.13
6.57%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.57 $1.57
10.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$4.02 $4.02
-14.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$3.92 $3.92
-4.59%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Salem, OH
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$0.88 $0.88
32.95%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$3.40 $3.40
-45.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$4.04 $4.04
-61.88%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$3.29 $3.29
23.40%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$11.24 $11.24
14.86%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$9.94 $9.94
-20.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$16.17 $16.17
9.09%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$3.36 $3.36
-32.74%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.43 $1.43
22.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$4.48 $4.48
-57.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$3.65 $3.65
-29.86%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.57 $2.57
-28.02%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.96 $1.96
0.51%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$2.64 $2.64
-45.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$2.26 $2.26
-65.93%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$9.74 $9.74
-31.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$13.32 $13.32
-57.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.96 $1.96
-30.10%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$3.17 $3.17
-33.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Salem, OH
Difference
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
$2.57 $2.57
53.70%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$2.45 $2.45
-57.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$39.80 $39.80
-56.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.02 $1.02
114.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$31.3K $31.3K
7.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$26.2K $26.2K
46.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Salem, OH
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$180 $180
-8.89%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$59.6 $59.6
-68.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$64.7 $64.7
-49.03%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Salem, OH
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$45.61 $45.61
0.57%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$12.08 $12.08
-19.29%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Salem, OH
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$495 $495
38.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$14.4K $14.4K
22.17%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Salem, OH
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$45.74 $45.74
126.80%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$40.12 $40.12
15.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$72.0 $72.0
38.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$78.8 $78.8
58.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Salem, OH
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$1,625 $1,625
-2.22%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$1,312 $1,312
-10.87%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$2,540 $2,540
12.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$2,113 $2,113
-5.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$2,739 $2,739
184.47%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$2,382 $2,382
85.44%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Salem, OH
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.51
-40.86%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Salem, OH: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Salem, OH
$1.3K 12.2% $143
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Salem, OH
$358 31% $85
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Salem, OH
$221 10.7% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Salem, OH
$304 41.3% $89
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Salem, OH
$107 36.8% $62
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Salem, OH
$70 6.7% $4.4
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Salem, OH
$23 * 63.8% $40

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 $1,625 in Salem, OH. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $49.00 in Salem, OH. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $358, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇺🇸 Salem, OH
🕒 Local time
11:19 11:19 AM
06:19 6:19 AM
5 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
155,469
💱 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 Salem, OH 5,950 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Salem, OH

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 Salem, OH: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Salem, OH?
Lisbon and Salem, OH differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $2,394 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 Salem, OH?
You'd need roughly $3,302 in Lisbon and $3,590 in Salem, OH 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 Salem, OH?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,625 in Salem, OH. 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 31% higher in Salem, OH. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Salem, OH?
All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $2,394 in Salem, OH – a 9% 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 $2,394 in Salem, OH, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Salem, OH. 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 Salem, OH?
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 Salem, OH safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Salem, OH 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 Salem, OH?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Salem, OH. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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