Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Winston-Salem, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,428 in Winston-Salem, NC, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. The total is higher in Winston-Salem, NC despite lower rent and utilities.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Winston-Salem, NC
Learn more

Winston-Salem, NC Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Winston-Salem, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Winston-Salem, 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 Winston-Salem, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,428 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Lisbon $2,210
Winston-Salem, NC $2,428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,722 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Lisbon $3,275
Winston-Salem, NC $3,722

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $5,016 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Lisbon $4,341
Winston-Salem, NC $5,016

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 9% less than in Winston-Salem, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Winston-Salem, NC 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.85

$22.94 $22.94

-27.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.1

$79.2 $79.2

-22.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.13

$10.19 $10.19

11.48%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.65

$5.36 $5.36

-44.59%

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

$2.29 €2.04

$2.87 $2.87

-20.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.95 $1.95

-10.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.04

$5.14 $5.14

-33.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.95

$6.13 $6.13

-46.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.45 $1.45

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$4.75 $4.75

-59.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$9.80 $9.80

-84.59%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.59

$5.46 $5.46

-26.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.54

$18.33 $18.33

-29.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.94

$13.95 $13.95

-44.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.85

$26.68 $26.68

-33.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$7.78 $7.78

-70.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$3.11 $3.11

-44.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$7.03 $7.03

-73.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.31

$7.42 $7.42

-65.09%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$4.91 $4.91

-62.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$6.04 $6.04

-67.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$2.76 $2.76

-46.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$3.54 $3.54

-79.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.87

$8.95 $8.95

-26.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.00

$14.82 $14.82

-62.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.61 $1.61

-15.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$4.60 $4.60

-53.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.08

$1.02 $1.02

128.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €39.86

$29.70 $29.70

50.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.43

$6.85 $6.85

-43.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$2.24 $2.24

-52.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.69

$14.85 $14.85

10.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.96

$0.94 $0.94

134.04%

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

$34.2K €30.5K

$29.7K $29.7K

15.17%

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

$38.7K €34.5K

$26.2K $26.2K

47.97%

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

$161 €144

$176 $176

-8.20%

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

$18.41 €16.43

$51.7 $51.7

-64.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.21

$62.9 $62.9

-47.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.74

$35.52 $35.52

25.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.04

$15.77 $15.77

21.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.56

$11.79 $11.79

-18.58%

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

$668 €596

$1,279 $1,279

-47.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$9,829 $9,829

79.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.0

$38.64 $38.64

164.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.67

$31.00 $31.00

43.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €87.9

$84.4 $84.4

16.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €110

$95.5 $95.5

29.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,435

$1,501 $1,501

7.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,062

$1,001 $1,001

18.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,509

$2,667 $2,667

5.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,796

$1,761 $1,761

14.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €6,994

$5,103 $5,103

53.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,082

$2,693 $2,693

69.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,405

$3,714 $3,714

-57.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.68

-42.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Winston-Salem, NC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Winston-Salem, NC

$1K 41.2% 15.9% $189

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Winston-Salem, NC

$578 23.8% 112% $305

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Winston-Salem, NC

$336 13.8% 38.3% $93

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Winston-Salem, NC

$290 12% 36.7% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Winston-Salem, NC

$112 4.6% 32.3% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Winston-Salem, NC

$59 2.4% 7.3% $4.6

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Winston-Salem, NC

$52 2.1% 18% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,501 in Winston-Salem, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Winston-Salem, NC pays about 2.4 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $79 in Winston-Salem, NC for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $578 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Winston-Salem, NC

🕒 Local time

15:12 3:12 PM

10:12 10:12 AM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

241,218

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Winston-Salem, NC 6,120 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Winston-Salem, NC

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 Winston-Salem, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,428 in Winston-Salem, NC, so Lisbon is about 9% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 58% 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 $1,501 in Winston-Salem, NC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $1,279 in Winston-Salem, NC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 112% higher in Winston-Salem, NC. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Winston-Salem, NC on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.