Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Trenton, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,563 in Trenton, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Trenton, NJ, United States
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Trenton, NJ
🇺🇸 United States
$2,563
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,563 in Trenton, NJ.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Trenton, NJ $2,563

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $4,114 in Trenton, NJ.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Trenton, NJ $4,114

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $5,665 in Trenton, NJ.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Trenton, NJ $5,665

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 14% less than in Trenton, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Trenton, NJ 88% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Trenton, NJ
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$18.22 $18.22
-8.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$65.4 $65.4
-5.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$12.20 $12.20
-6.89%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$4.86 $4.86
-38.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.63 $2.63
-12.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.15 $2.15
-19.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$6.97 $6.97
-51.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$7.77 $7.77
-57.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Trenton, NJ
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.21 $1.21
-4.13%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$3.95 $3.95
-51.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$1.74 $1.74
-13.22%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$4.79 $4.79
-16.08%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$12.27 $12.27
5.46%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$10.07 $10.07
-22.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$10.81 $10.81
64.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$4.39 $4.39
-47.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.26 $2.26
-23.45%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$3.36 $3.36
-44.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$4.42 $4.42
-41.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.03 $2.03
-10.34%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$3.40 $3.40
-42.06%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.97 $1.97
-25.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$2.03 $2.03
-64.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$14.66 $14.66
-55.12%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$7.86 $7.86
-28.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.67 $2.67
-49.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$3.40 $3.40
-37.06%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Trenton, NJ
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$1.81 $1.81
28.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
$56.4 $56.4
-20.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$3.07 $3.07
25.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$2.12 $2.12
-49.53%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$42.52 $42.52
-61.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$0.92 $0.92
139.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$30.8K $30.8K
11.05%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$25.9K $25.9K
49.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Trenton, NJ
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$139 $139
15.74%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$60.8 $60.8
-69.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$63.0 $63.0
-48.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Trenton, NJ
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$30.07 $30.07
48.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$12.53 $12.53
-23.38%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Trenton, NJ
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$3,019 $3,019
-77.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$34.7K $34.7K
-49.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Trenton, NJ
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$61.6 $61.6
65.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$50.5 $50.5
-11.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$89.4 $89.4
10.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$121 $121
1.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Trenton, NJ
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$1,724 $1,724
-6.73%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$1,362 $1,362
-12.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$2,398 $2,398
17.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$2,991 $2,991
-32.70%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$3,075 $3,075
154.96%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$3,069 $3,069
49.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Trenton, NJ
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$3,335 $3,335
-52.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.67
-42.28%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Trenton, NJ: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Trenton, NJ
$1.4K 14.5% $172
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Trenton, NJ
$350 28.3% $77
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Trenton, NJ
$310 27.8% $68
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Trenton, NJ
$263 23.9% $51
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Trenton, NJ
$145 12.4% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Trenton, NJ
$55 13.5% $8.6
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Trenton, NJ
$77 22.4% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,724 in Trenton, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trenton, NJ pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $65 in Trenton, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $350 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇺🇸 Trenton, NJ
🕒 Local time
06:12 6:12 AM
01:12 1:12 AM
5 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
83,923
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Trenton, NJ 5,500 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Trenton, 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 Trenton, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Trenton, NJ?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,563 in Trenton, NJ, so Lisbon is about 14% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 53% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Trenton, NJ?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,724 in Trenton, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Trenton, NJ?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $3,019 in Trenton, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Trenton, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Lisbon compared to Trenton, NJ?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Trenton, 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.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Trenton, NJ?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Trenton, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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