Cost of Living Comparison Between Medford, MA and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Medford, MA and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Medford, MA versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,042 in Medford, MA versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,379 in Medford, MA versus $4,307 in Lisbon.

Living in Medford, MA is roughly 19% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medford, MA 103% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.38 $19.38

$15.75 €13.64

23.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.4 $99.4

$63.5 €55.0

56.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$10.45 €9.05

7.18%

Cappuccino

$5.46 $5.46

$2.91 €2.52

87.63%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$2.29 €1.98

16.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.50 €1.30

40.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$3.56 €3.09

130.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.04 $9.04

$3.96 €3.43

128.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.08 €0.94

17.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 $3.45

$1.76 €1.53

96.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.70 €1.47

84.12%

Eggs

$4.59 $4.59

$3.25 €2.81

41.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.84 $10.84

$13.25 €11.47

-18.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 $9.56

$7.70 €6.67

24.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.20 $20.20

$15.77 €13.66

28.09%

Apples (1kg)

$5.72 $5.72

$2.28 €1.97

150.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.66 €1.43

29.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$2.02 €1.75

185.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.83 $5.83

$2.47 €2.14

136.03%

Potato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.79 €1.55

142.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$2.07 €1.79

75.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.77 $2.77

$1.97 €1.71

40.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.83 €0.72

168.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.04 $11.04

$6.55 €5.68

68.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 $15.26

$5.57 €4.82

173.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.33 €1.15

57.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.01 €2.60

-32.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.27 €1.97

3.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.5 $88.5

$46.35 €40.14

91.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$4.23 €3.66

-39.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.85 €0.73

102.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.45 $28.45

$18.83 €16.31

51.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$2.02 €1.75

-57.92%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$35.0K €30.3K

-14.51%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$39.6K €34.3K

-36.22%

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

$193 $193

$148 €128

30.39%

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

$56.7 $56.7

$20.52 €17.77

176.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.1 $64.1

$39.52 €34.23

62.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.70 $42.70

$48.17 €41.72

-11.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$14.58 $14.58

$9.10 €7.88

60.22%

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

$1,514 $1,514

$615 €532

146.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.5K $27.5K

$16.3K €14.1K

68.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 $53.2

$102 €88.0

-47.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.90 $31.90

$42.09 €36.45

-24.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.5 $66.5

$92.3 €79.9

-27.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.0 $85.0

$122 €106

-30.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 $1,589

$1,612 €1,396

-1.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,329 $1,329

$1,254 €1,086

6.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,679 $2,679

$3,069 €2,658

-12.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,251 $2,251

$2,037 €1,764

10.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,838 $2,838

$7,751 €6,712

-63.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,267 $2,267

$4,286 €3,712

-47.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

3.81

68.77%

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

Last update for Medford, MA: July 28, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Medford, MA and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $99.0 in Medford, MA vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $416 vs $267 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

Medford, MA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Medford, MA and Lisbon differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,704 vs $2,280 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,056 in Medford, MA and $3,420 in Lisbon 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Medford, MA versus $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,514 in Medford, MA versus $615 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 56% higher in Medford, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Medford, MA and Lisbon 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 19% less than in Medford, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.