Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterey, CA and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Monterey, CA and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,349 in Monterey, CA versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,949 in Monterey, CA versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,549 in Monterey, CA versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Monterey, CA is roughly 46% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterey, CA 151% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 $16.65

$16.19 €14.18

2.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 $64.5

$63.3 €55.5

1.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.07 $9.07

$10.32 €9.04

-12.11%

Cappuccino

$4.52 $4.52

$2.83 €2.48

59.72%

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

$3.13 $3.13

$2.29 €2.01

36.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.58 €1.38

3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 $5.93

$3.40 €2.98

74.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.03 €3.53

13.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$1.09 €0.96

23.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 $3.35

$1.75 €1.53

91.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.76 €1.54

146.59%

Eggs

$3.95 $3.95

$3.17 €2.77

24.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.16 $9.16

$13.19 €11.56

-30.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.68 $17.68

$7.97 €6.98

121.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.82 $13.82

$15.53 €13.60

-11.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.37 €2.07

62.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.71 €1.49

-29.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.01 €1.76

20.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.43 €2.13

-10.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.76 €1.54

10.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.03 €1.78

6.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.92 €1.68

-6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$0.85 €0.74

117.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.02 $12.02

$6.58 €5.76

82.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.38 $15.38

$5.58 €4.89

175.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.33 €1.17

69.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.97 €2.60

-16.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.28 €1.99

-13.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.1 $53.1

$45.79 €40.10

15.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 $1.58

$4.23 €3.70

-62.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.81 €0.71

7.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.84 $28.84

$18.44 €16.15

56.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.08 €1.82

-41.83%

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

$23.9K $23.9K

$34.7K €30.4K

-31.12%

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

$24.3K $24.3K

$39.2K €34.3K

-38.00%

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

$182 $182

$148 €130

22.87%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$20.46 €17.92

153.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$39.56 €34.64

53.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.45 $42.45

$47.99 €42.03

-11.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.48 $10.48

$18.60 €16.29

-43.66%

Cinema Ticket

$12.52 $12.52

$9.22 €8.08

35.79%

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

$564 $564

$616 €540

-8.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

$16.4K €14.4K

-24.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.8 $68.8

$103 €90.0

-32.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$118 $118

$41.74 €36.55

182.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 $97.0

$94.8 €83.0

2.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$197 $197

$122 €107

61.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,281 $2,281

$1,633 €1,430

39.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,980 $1,980

$1,232 €1,079

60.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,648 $3,648

$3,098 €2,713

17.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,651 $3,651

$2,031 €1,779

79.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,010 $8,010

$7,831 €6,858

2.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,874 $5,874

$4,389 €3,844

33.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,705 $4,705

$1,607 €1,408

192.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

3.81

67.98%

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

Last update for Monterey, CA: July 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,281 in Monterey, CA and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Monterey, CA pays 193% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Monterey, CA vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 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

Monterey, CA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monterey, CA and Lisbon differ by about 46% in total monthly costs ($3,349 vs $2,291 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 193% higher in Monterey, CA, 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: $2,281 in Monterey, CA versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $564 in Monterey, CA versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Monterey, CA. 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, Monterey, CA 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 46% less than in Monterey, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.