Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Summit, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,203 a month against $3,842 in Summit, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,203
/mo nomad
Summit, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$3,842
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,203 in Lisbon versus $3,842 in Summit, NJ.

  • Lisbon $2,203
  • Summit, NJ $3,842

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,237 in Lisbon versus $5,955 in Summit, NJ.

  • Lisbon $3,237
  • Summit, NJ $5,955

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $8,069 in Summit, NJ.

  • Lisbon $4,272
  • Summit, NJ $8,069

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 43% less than in Summit, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Summit, NJ 187% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Summit, NJ
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.01 €15.18
$24.62 $24.62
-30.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.7 €56.0
$100 $100
-37.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.42 €10.19
$11.09 $11.09
2.98%
Cappuccino
$3.09 €2.76
$5.41 $5.41
-42.88%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.37 €2.11
$2.24 $2.24
5.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 €1.48
$1.47 $1.47
12.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.46 €3.09
$8.07 $8.07
-57.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.29 €2.93
$7.83 $7.83
-57.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Summit, NJ
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.27 $1.27
-7.87%
White Bread (500g)
$1.87 €1.66
$4.27 $4.27
-56.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.52 €1.36
$6.08 $6.08
-75.00%
Eggs
$3.88 €3.46
$5.90 $5.90
-34.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.87 €11.49
$13.92 $13.92
-7.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.94 €7.08
$10.46 $10.46
-24.09%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.63 €15.73
$17.59 $17.59
0.23%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$6.11 $6.11
-63.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.76 €1.57
$1.71 $1.71
2.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.88 €1.68
$4.16 $4.16
-54.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.47 €2.20
$5.21 $5.21
-52.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$3.08 $3.08
-39.61%
Onion (1kg)
$2.07 €1.85
$3.66 $3.66
-43.44%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.39 €1.24
$3.07 $3.07
-54.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 €0.73
$2.92 $2.92
-72.26%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.89 €6.15
$11.28 $11.28
-38.92%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.53 €4.93
$19.83 $19.83
-72.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 €1.19
$1.78 $1.78
-25.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.17 €1.93
$5.30 $5.30
-59.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Summit, NJ
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.24 €2.00
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$45.14 €40.29
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.00 €3.57
$3.03 $3.03
32.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.95
$2.09 $2.09
-48.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.53 €14.75
$24.22 $24.22
-31.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.26 €2.02
$1.12 $1.12
101.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.5K €29.9K
$35.2K $35.2K
-4.69%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$40.5K €36.1K
$25.2K $25.2K
60.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Summit, NJ
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$213 $213
-23.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.54 €16.55
$61.2 $61.2
-69.70%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.21 €29.64
$50.7 $50.7
-34.55%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Summit, NJ
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €41.06
$80.2 $80.2
-42.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.80 €16.78
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.47 €8.45
$14.75 $14.75
-35.80%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Summit, NJ
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$690 €615
$2,015 $2,015
-65.77%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.0K
$16.2K $16.2K
3.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Summit, NJ
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$105 €93.4
$41.66 $41.66
151.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.27 €40.40
$57.6 $57.6
-21.43%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.0 €88.3
$74.8 $74.8
32.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$119 $119
4.20%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Summit, NJ
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,583 €1,413
$2,697 $2,697
-41.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,209 €1,079
$2,457 $2,457
-50.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,833 €2,528
$5,556 $5,556
-49.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,964 €1,753
$5,055 $5,055
-61.15%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,643 €6,821
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,431 €3,954
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Summit, NJ
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,573 €1,403
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.79
6.75
-43.85%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 4, 2026

Last update for Summit, NJ: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Summit, NJ
$2.5K 103% $1.2K
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Summit, NJ
$457 67.9% $185
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Summit, NJ
$366 48% $119
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Summit, NJ
$325 51.1% $110
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Summit, NJ
$132 21.4% $36
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Summit, NJ
$110 68.9% $45
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Summit, NJ
$13 * 78.7% $50

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 $1,583 in Lisbon and $2,697 in Summit, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $100 in Summit, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $457 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇺🇸 Summit, NJ
🕒 Local time
09:39 9:39 AM
04:39 4:39 AM
5 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
11,161
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 12, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Summit, NJ 5,450 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Summit, 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 Summit, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Summit, NJ?
Lisbon and Summit, NJ differ by about 74% in total monthly costs ($2,203 vs $3,842 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 Summit, NJ?
You'd need roughly $3,304 in Lisbon and $5,762 in Summit, 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 Summit, NJ?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,583 in Lisbon versus $2,697 in Summit, NJ. 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 68% higher in Summit, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Summit, NJ?
All in, you'll spend $2,203 per month in Lisbon versus $3,842 in Summit, NJ – a 74% 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 $2,203 in Lisbon versus $3,842 in Summit, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Summit, NJ. 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 Summit, 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.
Is Lisbon or Summit, NJ safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Summit, NJ 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 Summit, NJ?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 74% less than in Summit, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

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