Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and State College, PA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,426 in State College, PA, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in State College, PA
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State College, PA Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

State College, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,426

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in State College, PA

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 State College, PA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,426 in State College, PA.

Lisbon $2,202
State College, PA $2,426

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $3,582 in State College, PA.

Lisbon $3,274
State College, PA $3,582

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,737 in State College, PA.

Lisbon $4,346
State College, PA $4,737

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 9% less than in State College, PA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, State College, PA 79% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$15.30 $15.30

11.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$67.1 $67.1

-7.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$9.28 $9.28

18.75%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$3.46 $3.46

-9.83%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$2.51 $2.51

-9.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.75 $1.75

-0.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$6.87 $6.87

-50.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$7.51 $7.51

-50.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.12 $1.12

4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$3.05 $3.05

-39.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.04 $2.04

-24.51%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$3.85 $3.85

5.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$9.85 $9.85

31.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$9.19 $9.19

-14.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$18.07 $18.07

-2.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.51 $3.51

-35.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.33 $1.33

31.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$4.50 $4.50

-58.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$3.85 $3.85

-33.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.74 $1.74

6.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.46 $2.46

-19.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.26 $2.26

-35.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$1.54 $1.54

-50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$11.73 $11.73

-42.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$14.38 $14.38

-60.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.70 $1.70

-19.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$3.72 $3.72

-43.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.23 $2.23

4.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$85.9 $85.9

-48.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$4.98 $4.98

-20.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.08 $1.08

-2.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$22.85 $22.85

-24.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.08 $1.08

102.78%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$27.6K $27.6K

22.46%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$25.9K $25.9K

47.96%

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

$164 €146

$160 $160

2.46%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$40.38 $40.38

-54.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$59.3 $59.3

-44.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$24.65 $24.65

86.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$16.77 $16.77

-41.86%

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

$684 €608

$1,034 $1,034

-33.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$27.4K $27.4K

-35.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$46.57 $46.57

122.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$40.71 $40.71

13.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$81.1 $81.1

22.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$132 $132

-5.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$1,776 $1,776

-10.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,270 $1,270

-7.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$2,825 $2,825

0.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$2,170 $2,170

-8.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$2,365 $2,365

229.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$2,083 $2,083

112.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$4,230 $4,230

-62.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.46

-40.40%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for State College, PA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

State College, PA

$1.3K 52.3% 8.6% $101

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

State College, PA

$340 14% 24.6% $67

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

State College, PA

$258 10.6% 4.3% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

State College, PA

$260 10.7% 20.6% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

State College, PA

$135 5.6% 19.7% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

State College, PA

$58 2.4% 11% $7.2

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

State College, PA

$105 4.3% 67.1% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,776 in State College, PA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

State College, PA pays 164% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $67.0 in State College, PA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $340 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 State College, PA

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

08:33 8:33 AM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

40,501

💱 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 State College, PA 5,720 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
State College, PA

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 State College, PA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and State College, PA differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $2,426 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 164% lower in State College, PA. 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 $1,776 in State College, PA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $1,034 in State College, PA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 25% higher in State College, PA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,426 in State College, PA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in State College, PA. 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 State College, PA 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in State College, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.