Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shelby, NC

For one person, living costs are similar in Lisbon and in Shelby, NC: $2,202 and $2,104 a month, rent and utilities included.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
101

Cost of Living Index in Shelby, NC
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Shelby, NC Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Shelby, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,104

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Shelby, NC

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 Shelby, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,104 in Shelby, NC.

Lisbon $2,202
Shelby, NC $2,104

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $2,929 in Shelby, NC.

Lisbon $3,274
Shelby, NC $2,929

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $3,754 in Shelby, NC.

Lisbon $4,346
Shelby, NC $3,754

Living in Lisbon is roughly 5% more expensive than in Shelby, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Shelby, NC 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$14.23 $14.23

19.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$34.86 $34.86

78.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$9.08 $9.08

21.37%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$5.38 $5.38

-42.01%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$1.53 $1.53

48.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.26 $1.26

38.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$2.57 $2.57

33.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$2.95 $2.95

26.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$0.81 $0.81

44.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$3.27 $3.27

-43.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$9.60 $9.60

-83.96%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$5.11 $5.11

-20.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$18.19 $18.19

-29.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$13.49 $13.49

-41.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$26.71 $26.71

-33.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$7.70 $7.70

-70.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.99 $2.99

-41.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$6.91 $6.91

-72.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$7.34 $7.34

-65.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$4.75 $4.75

-61.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$6.03 $6.03

-67.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.86 $2.86

-49.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$3.56 $3.56

-78.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$8.57 $8.57

-21.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$14.83 $14.83

-61.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.63 $1.63

-15.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$4.45 $4.45

-52.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.12 $2.12

9.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$6.80 $6.80

-41.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$2.35 $2.35

-55.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$15.21 $15.21

12.75%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

39.16%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$22.3K $22.3K

71.29%

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

$164 €146

$175 $175

-6.52%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$35.60 $35.60

-48.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$49.16 $49.16

-32.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$45.26 $45.26

1.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$12.03 $12.03

-18.95%

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

$684 €608

$294 $294

132.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$10.0K $10.0K

76.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$39.50 $39.50

162.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$31.85 $31.85

45.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$70.0 $70.0

42.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$79.1 $79.1

57.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$827 $827

92.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$863 $863

35.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$1,234 $1,234

130.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$1,113 $1,113

79.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$1,887 $1,887

312.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$1,873 $1,873

135.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$2,497 $2,497

-35.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.38

-39.66%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Shelby, NC: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Shelby, NC

$863 41% 26.1% $306

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Shelby, NC

$550 26.1% 101% $277

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Shelby, NC

$236 11.2% 4.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Shelby, NC

$260 12.4% 20.8% $45

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Shelby, NC

$99 4.7% 41.1% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Shelby, NC

$69 3.3% 6% $3.9

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Shelby, NC

$27 * 1.3% 57.1% $36

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 $827 in Shelby, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shelby, NC pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $35.00 in Shelby, NC. Groceries flip the comparison at $273 vs $550, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Shelby, NC

🕒 Local time

11:19 11:19 AM

06:19 6:19 AM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

21,378

💱 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 Shelby, NC 6,270 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Shelby, NC

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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 Shelby, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Shelby, NC differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $2,104 including rent). Shelby, NC is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 56% lower in Shelby, NC. 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: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $827 in Shelby, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 101% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $2,104 in Shelby, NC – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,104 in Shelby, NC versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shelby, NC but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Shelby, NC 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 Shelby, NC 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 Shelby, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.