Cost of Living Comparison Between New Castle, DE and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between New Castle, DE and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,600 in New Castle, DE versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,812 in New Castle, DE versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,024 in New Castle, DE versus $4,307 in Lisbon.

Living in New Castle, DE is roughly 14% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Castle, DE 95% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.65 $19.65

$15.75 €13.64

24.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.4 $79.4

$63.5 €55.0

25.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.16 $15.16

$10.45 €9.05

45.07%

Cappuccino

$5.34 $5.34

$2.91 €2.52

83.51%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$2.29 €1.98

8.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.50 €1.30

31.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.91 $7.91

$3.56 €3.09

122.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.93 $7.93

$3.96 €3.43

100.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$1.08 €0.94

-29.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.97 $3.97

$1.76 €1.53

125.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.37 $9.37

$1.70 €1.47

451.18%

Eggs

$4.11 $4.11

$3.25 €2.81

26.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.18 $12.18

$13.25 €11.47

-8.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$7.70 €6.67

47.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.73 $15.73

$15.77 €13.66

-0.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.28 €1.97

21.49%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$1.66 €1.43

56.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.02 €1.75

5.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.47 €2.14

-27.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.79 €1.55

-6.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.07 €1.79

73.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.61 $2.61

$1.97 €1.71

32.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$0.83 €0.72

271.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.96 $10.96

$6.55 €5.68

67.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.57 €4.82

170.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.33 €1.15

32.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.41 $6.41

$3.01 €2.60

112.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.27 €1.97

-11.01%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.23 €3.66

43.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.40 $1.40

$0.85 €0.73

64.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.55 $42.55

$18.83 €16.31

125.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$2.02 €1.75

-55.45%

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

$29.5K $29.5K

$35.0K €30.3K

-15.58%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$39.6K €34.3K

-33.77%

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

$180 $180

$148 €128

21.97%

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

$50.7 $50.7

$20.52 €17.77

147.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.8 $56.8

$39.52 €34.23

43.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.40 $42.40

$48.17 €41.72

-11.98%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 $9.99

$9.10 €7.88

9.78%

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

$1,892 $1,892

$615 €532

207.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.1K $40.1K

$16.3K €14.1K

146.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.86 $29.86

$102 €88.0

-70.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.8 $55.8

$42.09 €36.45

32.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.8 $50.8

$92.3 €79.9

-44.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$122 €106

-17.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 $1,618

$1,612 €1,396

0.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 $1,358

$1,254 €1,086

8.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 $2,661

$3,069 €2,658

-13.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,239 $2,239

$2,037 €1,764

9.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,729 $2,729

$7,751 €6,712

-64.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,290 $2,290

$4,286 €3,712

-46.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

3.81

71.92%

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

Last update for New Castle, DE: July 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,618 in New Castle, DE and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $79.0 in New Castle, DE vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 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

New Castle, DE vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Castle, DE and Lisbon differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,600 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 $3,900 in New Castle, DE 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: $1,618 in New Castle, DE versus $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in New Castle, DE. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,600 per month in New Castle, DE versus $2,280 in Lisbon – a 14% 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, New Castle, DE 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 14% less than in New Castle, DE. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.