Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pasadena, CA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,590 in Pasadena, CA, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

173

Cost of Living Index in Pasadena, CA
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Pasadena, CA Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Pasadena, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,590

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Pasadena, CA and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Pasadena, CA and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,590 in Pasadena, CA versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Pasadena, CA $3,590
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,100 in Pasadena, CA versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Pasadena, CA $5,100
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,609 in Pasadena, CA versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Pasadena, CA $6,609
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Pasadena, CA is roughly 62% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pasadena, CA 164% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.03 $18.03

$16.65 €14.95

8.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 $76.4

$61.7 €55.5

23.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 $9.91

$11.36 €10.20

-12.76%

Cappuccino

$4.81 $4.81

$2.97 €2.67

61.95%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$2.29 €2.06

21.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.74 €1.56

-9.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.40 €3.06

45.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 $5.87

$3.31 €2.97

77.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.16 €1.04

15.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 $3.87

$1.91 €1.72

102.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.51 €1.36

86.09%

Eggs

$5.20 $5.20

$4.02 €3.61

29.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 $13.81

$12.94 €11.62

6.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.48 $13.48

$7.77 €6.98

73.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.44 $12.44

$17.76 €15.95

-29.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$2.30 €2.07

105.22%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.73 €1.56

30.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$1.86 €1.67

134.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$2.59 €2.33

132.05%

Potato (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$1.82 €1.64

147.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.97 €1.77

21.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.47 €1.32

26.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$0.72 €0.65

198.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.92 $11.92

$6.58 €5.91

81.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 $10.89

$5.61 €5.04

94.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.36 €1.22

21.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.14 €1.92

-15.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.33 €2.10

-26.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.0 $51.0

$44.68 €40.14

14.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.85 €3.46

-11.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.07 €0.96

76.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.30 $24.30

$16.46 €14.79

47.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 $1.59

$2.20 €1.98

-27.73%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$34.2K €30.7K

-19.02%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$38.7K €34.8K

-33.67%

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

$249 $249

$161 €145

54.59%

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

$59.5 $59.5

$18.41 €16.54

223.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.9 $65.9

$32.74 €29.41

101.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.12 $25.12

$44.55 €40.02

-43.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.52 $34.52

$19.10 €17.16

80.73%

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 $12.12

$9.60 €8.62

26.25%

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

$3,909 $3,909

$668 €600

485.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K $14.7K

$17.6K €15.8K

-16.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.13 $31.13

$102 €91.6

-69.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.65 $34.65

$44.46 €39.94

-22.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 $70.8

$98.5 €88.5

-28.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$124 €111

14.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,070 $3,070

$1,608 €1,445

90.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,285 $2,285

$1,190 €1,069

91.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,691 $4,691

$2,812 €2,526

66.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,729 $3,729

$2,013 €1,808

85.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,964 $8,964

$7,839 €7,042

14.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,058 $9,058

$4,576 €4,110

97.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,466 $5,466

$1,575 €1,415

247.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

3.85

64.42%

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

Last update for Pasadena, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Pasadena, CA

$2.3K 63.6%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 47.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Pasadena, CA

$400 11.2%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 31.9% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pasadena, CA

$375 10.4%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 43.3% $162

Eating Out

Pasadena, CA

$286 8%

Lisbon

$243 11% 15% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Pasadena, CA

$125 3.5%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 32.8% $41

Getting Around

Pasadena, CA

$71 2%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 10.6% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Pasadena, CA

$49 1.4%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 29.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,070 in Pasadena, CA and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pasadena, CA pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $76 in Pasadena, CA vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pasadena, CA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

14:18 2:18 PM

21:18 9:18 PM

7 h ahead of Pasadena, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

137,122

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Pasadena, CA Lisbon 9,110 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Pasadena, CA
Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

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

Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,590 in Pasadena, CA and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Lisbon is about 38% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Pasadena, CA is about 3.5 times higher, 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: $3,070 in Pasadena, CA versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,909 in Pasadena, CA versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Pasadena, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,590 in Pasadena, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Pasadena, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Pasadena, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.