Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and South Portland, ME

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,045 in South Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
148

Cost of Living Index in South Portland, ME
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South Portland, ME Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

South Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$3,045

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in South Portland, ME

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 South Portland, ME actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,045 in South Portland, ME.

Lisbon $2,210
South Portland, ME $3,045

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $4,568 in South Portland, ME.

Lisbon $3,275
South Portland, ME $4,568

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $6,091 in South Portland, ME.

Lisbon $4,341
South Portland, ME $6,091

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 27% less than in South Portland, ME, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, South Portland, ME 124% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$24.94 $24.94

-33.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$118 $118

-47.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$14.71 $14.71

-22.77%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$5.35 $5.35

-44.49%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$3.09 $3.09

-25.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.37 $2.37

-26.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$7.81 $7.81

-56.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$7.95 $7.95

-58.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.07 $1.07

8.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$4.38 $4.38

-56.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$6.96 $6.96

-78.30%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$4.03 $4.03

-0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$15.36 $15.36

-15.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$10.35 $10.35

-24.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$15.97 $15.97

11.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$4.77 $4.77

-51.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$1.65 $1.65

4.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$5.52 $5.52

-66.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$7.61 $7.61

-65.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$4.38 $4.38

-58.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$3.78 $3.78

-47.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.93 $2.93

-49.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.59 $2.59

-72.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

$12.31 $12.31

-46.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$15.08 $15.08

-62.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.90 $1.90

-28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$2.60 $2.60

-17.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$1.91 $1.91

21.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

$51.3 $51.3

-12.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$2.05 $2.05

87.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.58 $1.58

-32.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$10.94 $10.94

50.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.09 $1.09

101.83%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$27.5K $27.5K

24.37%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

44.90%

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

$161 €145

$239 $239

-32.50%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$68.3 $68.3

-73.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$78.6 $78.6

-58.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

$40.18 $40.18

10.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

$29.61 $29.61

-35.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$14.95 $14.95

-35.79%

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

$668 €600

$401 $401

66.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$15.1K $15.1K

16.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

$51.9 $51.9

96.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

$51.2 $51.2

-13.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$103 $103

-4.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$131 $131

-5.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$1,972 $1,972

-18.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$1,537 $1,537

-22.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

$3,166 $3,166

-11.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

$2,605 $2,605

-22.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

$2,784 $2,784

181.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

$2,332 $2,332

96.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$4,169 $4,169

-62.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.65

-42.11%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for South Portland, ME: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

South Portland, ME

$1.5K 50.5% 29.1% $347

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

South Portland, ME

$446 14.7% 63.9% $174

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

South Portland, ME

$385 12.6% 58.6% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

South Portland, ME

$386 12.7% 81.6% $173

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

South Portland, ME

$152 5% 8.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

South Portland, ME

$70 2.3% 9.9% $6.3

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

South Portland, ME

$69 2.3% 9% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,972 in South Portland, ME. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

South Portland, ME pays about 2.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $118 in South Portland, ME for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $446 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 South Portland, ME

🕒 Local time

22:30 10:30 PM

18:30 6:30 PM

4 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

26,498

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon South Portland, ME 5,030 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
South Portland, ME

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 South Portland, ME: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $3,045 in South Portland, ME, so Lisbon is about 27% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 62% lower in Lisbon. 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,972 in South Portland, ME. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $401 in South Portland, ME. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in South Portland, ME. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,045 in South Portland, ME, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in South Portland, ME. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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 South Portland, ME are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in South Portland, ME. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.