Cost of Living Comparison Between New Bern, NC and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between New Bern, NC and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,993 in New Bern, NC versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,323 in New Bern, NC versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,652 in New Bern, NC versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

Living in New Bern, NC costs roughly 10% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Bern, NC 49% above, Lisbon 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.57 $16.57

$16.17 €13.81

2.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.6 $94.6

$64.6 €55.1

46.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 $11.65

$10.38 €8.86

12.24%

Cappuccino

$4.56 $4.56

$2.77 €2.37

64.62%

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

$2.69 $2.69

$2.25 €1.92

19.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.57 €1.34

41.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.49 €2.98

30.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$4.00 €3.42

98.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.08 €0.93

-10.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.32 $3.32

$1.74 €1.49

90.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$1.74 €1.48

162.64%

Eggs

$3.43 $3.43

$3.18 €2.71

7.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$13.43 €11.47

2.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.00 $9.00

$7.99 €6.83

12.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.23 $15.23

$16.09 €13.74

-5.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$2.28 €1.95

127.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.72 €1.47

-29.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$1.94 €1.66

72.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$2.54 €2.17

109.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$1.83 €1.56

25.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.04 €1.74

37.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.98 €1.69

-4.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$0.85 €0.73

164.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.18 $10.18

$6.85 €5.85

48.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.62 $12.62

$5.78 €4.93

118.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.37 €1.17

48.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.90 €2.48

-34.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.28 €1.95

-10.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.00

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$4.08 €3.48

-15.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.82 €0.70

175.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.29 $32.29

$18.27 €15.60

76.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$2.01 €1.71

-62.69%

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

$19.6K $19.6K

$35.3K €30.1K

-44.42%

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

$21.3K $21.3K

$38.5K €32.9K

-44.64%

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

$145 $145

$145 €124

-0.56%

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

$63.3 $63.3

$20.96 €17.90

202.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.2 $68.2

$40.05 €34.21

70.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 $56.0

$48.79 €41.66

14.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €15.97

Cinema Ticket

$10.09 $10.09

$9.06 €7.74

11.37%

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

$1,279 $1,279

$607 €518

110.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.9K $23.9K

$16.3K €13.9K

46.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.25 $34.25

$105 €89.4

-67.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.49 $25.49

$40.95 €34.97

-37.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.2 $68.2

$93.6 €79.9

-27.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.4 $96.4

$119 €101

-18.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 $1,122

$1,604 €1,370

-30.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$884 $884

$1,236 €1,055

-28.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,474 $2,474

$3,046 €2,601

-18.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,134 $2,134

$2,057 €1,756

3.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,068 $2,068

$7,709 €6,583

-73.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,046 $2,046

$4,266 €3,644

-52.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,261 $3,261

$1,584 €1,353

105.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.36

3.81

66.93%

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

Last update for New Bern, NC: April 28, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,122 in New Bern, NC and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New Bern, NC pays 106% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $95.0 in New Bern, NC vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $271 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

New Bern, NC vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Bern, NC and Lisbon differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,993 vs $2,227 including rent). New Bern, NC is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

New Bern, NC pays 106% more on average, 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: $1,122 in New Bern, NC versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,993 per month in New Bern, NC versus $2,227 in Lisbon – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,993 in New Bern, NC versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in New Bern, NC but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes New Bern, NC 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, New Bern, NC 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 New Bern, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.