Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monroe, LA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Monroe, LA: $1,868 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

90

Cost of Living Index in Monroe, LA
Learn more

Monroe, LA Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

Jump to prices

Monroe, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,868

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Monroe, LA and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Monroe, LA and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,868 in Monroe, LA versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Monroe, LA $1,868
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,845 in Monroe, LA versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Monroe, LA $2,845
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,822 in Monroe, LA versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Monroe, LA $3,822
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Monroe, LA costs roughly 15% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monroe, LA 38% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.80 $16.80

$17.04 €15.15

-1.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.32 $39.32

$62.3 €55.4

-36.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.19 $10.19

$11.02 €9.80

-7.53%

Cappuccino

$3.08 $3.08

$3.12 €2.78

-1.28%

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

$1.98 $1.98

$2.27 €2.02

-12.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.74 €1.55

39.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.03 $4.03

$3.42 €3.04

17.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.17 $6.17

$3.74 €3.33

64.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.17 €1.04

-6.84%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.86 €1.66

47.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.54 €1.37

78.57%

Eggs

$3.08 $3.08

$4.06 €3.61

-24.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.69 $8.69

$12.91 €11.49

-32.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.95 $7.95

$7.90 €7.03

0.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.71 $15.71

$17.64 €15.69

-10.94%

Apples (1kg)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.26 €2.01

123.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.75 €1.55

-18.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$1.89 €1.68

128.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.56 €2.27

48.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$1.85 €1.64

47.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.97 €1.75

31.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.45 €1.29

0.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.77 €0.69

141.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.93 $7.93

$6.71 €5.97

18.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 $13.25

$5.67 €5.04

133.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.37 €1.22

32.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.11 €1.88

-20.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.95 €3.51

-35.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.05 €0.93

45.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.83 $23.83

$17.15 €15.26

38.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$2.19 €1.95

-58.90%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$33.8K €30.0K

-18.26%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$38.3K €34.0K

-30.25%

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

$171 $171

$164 €146

4.36%

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

$53.2 $53.2

$18.48 €16.43

187.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.1 $63.1

$32.96 €29.32

91.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.06 $47.06

$45.87 €40.80

2.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$12.91 $12.91

$9.75 €8.67

32.41%

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

$807 $807

$684 €608

17.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K $19.1K

$17.6K €15.7K

8.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.69 $40.69

$104 €92.3

-60.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.06 $38.06

$46.20 €41.09

-17.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$63.3 $63.3

$99.7 €88.7

-36.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.4 $99.4

$125 €111

-20.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$984 $984

$1,589 €1,414

-38.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$812 $812

$1,169 €1,040

-30.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,127 $2,127

$2,851 €2,536

-25.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 $1,619

$1,993 €1,773

-18.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,858 $1,858

$7,793 €6,932

-76.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,763 $1,763

$4,418 €3,930

-60.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,703 $3,703

$1,600 €1,423

131.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

3.85

75.32%

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

Last update for Monroe, LA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monroe, LA

$812 43.5%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 43.9% $357

Groceries & Markets

Monroe, LA

$325 17.4%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 15.9% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monroe, LA

$287 15.4%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 25.1% $72

Eating Out

Monroe, LA

$252 13.5%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 1.8% $4.6

Clothing & Footwear

Monroe, LA

$109 5.8%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 55% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Monroe, LA

$73 3.9%

Lisbon

$65 3% 10.3% $7.5

Getting Around

Monroe, LA

$10 * 0.5%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 519% $53

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 $984 in Monroe, LA and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monroe, LA pays 131% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $39.00 in Monroe, LA vs $62.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $325 vs $273, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monroe, LA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

20:44 8:44 PM

02:44 2:44 AM

6 h ahead of Monroe, LA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,702

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monroe, LA Lisbon 7,270 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Monroe, LA
Lisbon

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

Monroe, LA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monroe, LA and Lisbon differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,868 vs $2,202 including rent). Monroe, LA is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 131% higher in Monroe, LA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $984 in Monroe, LA versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,868 per month in Monroe, LA versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,868 in Monroe, LA versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Monroe, LA but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Monroe, LA 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, Monroe, LA 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 Monroe, LA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.