Cost of Living Comparison Between Montclair, NJ and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Montclair, NJ and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,816 in Montclair, NJ versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,285 in Montclair, NJ versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,753 in Montclair, NJ versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Montclair, NJ is roughly 27% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montclair, NJ 110% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 $17.45

$15.91 €13.70

9.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$64.8 €55.8

56.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.88 $11.88

$10.51 €9.05

13.04%

Cappuccino

$5.80 $5.80

$2.87 €2.47

102.09%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$2.24 €1.93

36.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.50 €1.30

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 $7.99

$3.49 €3.01

128.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.95 $11.95

$3.88 €3.34

207.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.14 €0.98

10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$1.75 €1.51

136.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$1.76 €1.51

211.93%

Eggs

$6.47 $6.47

$3.22 €2.77

100.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.18 $14.18

$13.49 €11.62

5.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 $10.11

$7.91 €6.81

27.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.86 $19.86

$15.87 €13.67

25.14%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$2.31 €1.99

154.98%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.70 €1.46

49.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$2.01 €1.73

110.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.46 €2.12

75.61%

Potato (1kg)

$3.13 $3.13

$1.84 €1.59

70.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.00 €1.72

27.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.93 €1.66

48.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$0.79 €0.68

213.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.16 $17.16

$6.61 €5.69

159.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.72 €4.93

163.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.37 €1.18

35.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.97 €2.56

29.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.37 €2.04

-17.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.95 $2.95

$4.29 €3.69

-31.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.82 €0.70

159.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.30 $42.30

$18.30 €15.76

131.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.06 €1.78

-55.83%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$34.3K €29.5K

-31.91%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$39.3K €33.8K

-34.75%

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

$180 $180

$148 €127

21.86%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$20.52 €17.67

156.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 $62.0

$39.61 €34.11

56.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.98 $42.98

$47.85 €41.20

-10.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$19.73 $19.73

$9.18 €7.91

114.92%

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

$1,763 $1,763

$614 €529

187.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K $15.9K

$16.0K €13.8K

-0.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 $66.1

$105 €90.1

-36.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.96 $48.96

$42.06 €36.22

16.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.3 $98.3

$94.0 €80.9

4.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$120 €103

0.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,280 $2,280

$1,628 €1,402

40.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,561 $1,561

$1,255 €1,081

24.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,779 $3,779

$3,030 €2,609

24.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,679 $2,679

$2,020 €1,740

32.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

3.81

69.03%

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

Last update for Montclair, NJ: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,280 in Montclair, NJ and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Montclair, NJ vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $441 vs $269 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

Montclair, NJ vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montclair, NJ and Lisbon differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($2,816 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $4,224 in Montclair, NJ and $3,315 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: $2,280 in Montclair, NJ versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 63% higher in Montclair, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,816 per month in Montclair, NJ versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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, Montclair, NJ 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 27% less than in Montclair, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.