Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,878 in New York, NY versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,262 in New York, NY versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,645 in New York, NY versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in New York, NY is roughly 111% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 255% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.20 $25.20

$17.30 €14.93

45.66%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$150 $150

$63.3 €54.6

137.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.98 $13.98

$11.39 €9.83

22.74%

Cappuccino

$6.39 $6.39

$3.19 €2.75

100.31%

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

$4.01 $4.01

$2.45 €2.11

63.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.76 €1.52

65.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.01 $8.01

$3.59 €3.10

123.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 $9.94

$3.39 €2.93

193.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.24 €1.07

7.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.80 $4.80

$1.98 €1.71

142.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.81 $6.81

$1.52 €1.31

348.03%

Eggs

$5.67 $5.67

$4.04 €3.49

40.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.66 $16.66

$13.54 €11.68

23.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.82 $14.82

$8.39 €7.24

76.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.90 $18.90

$18.25 €15.75

3.56%

Apples (1kg)

$6.03 $6.03

$2.29 €1.98

163.32%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.74 €1.50

24.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.67 $5.67

$1.86 €1.60

204.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$2.63 €2.27

130.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.92 €1.65

81.77%

Onion (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$2.09 €1.81

98.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.44 €1.24

85.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$0.84 €0.73

204.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.04 $19.04

$6.78 €5.85

180.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.73 $19.73

$5.71 €4.93

245.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$1.38 €1.19

139.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.22 €1.91

78.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.40 €2.07

24.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$46.78 €40.37

199.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$4.17 €3.60

-29.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.14 €0.98

85.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.24 $41.24

$17.68 €15.26

133.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.32 €2.01

-52.16%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$35.3K €30.5K

-0.42%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$41.4K €35.8K

-39.28%

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

$218 $218

$170 €147

28.03%

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

$76.5 $76.5

$19.34 €16.69

295.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.0 $76.0

$33.64 €29.03

125.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$128 $128

$48.10 €41.50

165.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$63.2 $63.2

$19.90 €17.17

217.64%

Cinema Ticket

$23.94 $23.94

$9.92 €8.56

141.33%

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

$3,313 $3,313

$717 €619

361.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.8K $60.8K

$17.5K €15.1K

248.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.0 $74.0

$105 €90.4

-29.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.3 $56.3

$46.95 €40.51

19.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$103 €89.2

12.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$124 €107

4.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,391 $4,391

$1,677 €1,447

161.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,088 $3,088

$1,271 €1,097

142.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,291 $9,291

$2,985 €2,575

211.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,460 $5,460

$1,992 €1,719

174.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$7,826 €6,753

146.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,723 $6,723

$4,658 €4,019

44.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,364 $5,364

$1,583 €1,366

238.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

3.79

69.66%

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

Last update for New York, NY: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,391 in New York, NY and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 239% 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: $150 in New York, NY vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $512 vs $283 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 York, NY vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New York, NY and Lisbon differ by about 111% in total monthly costs ($4,878 vs $2,316 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 239% higher in New York, NY, 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: $4,391 in New York, NY versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,313 in New York, NY versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 81% higher in New York, NY. 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, New York, NY 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 111% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.