Cost of Living Comparison Between Queens, NY and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Queens, NY and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,252 in Queens, NY versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,733 in Queens, NY versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,213 in Queens, NY versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Queens, NY is roughly 40% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Queens, NY 137% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.28 $20.28

$17.30 €14.89

17.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.1 $81.1

$63.3 €54.4

28.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.08 $13.08

$11.39 €9.80

14.84%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$3.19 €2.75

68.03%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$2.45 €2.10

-0.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.76 €1.52

-13.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.22 $8.22

$3.59 €3.09

128.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.17 $8.17

$3.39 €2.92

141.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.24 €1.06

1.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.76 $3.76

$1.98 €1.71

89.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.04 $6.04

$1.52 €1.31

297.37%

Eggs

$6.99 $6.99

$4.04 €3.48

73.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.61 $12.61

$13.54 €11.65

-6.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.37 $10.37

$8.39 €7.22

23.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 $20.11

$18.25 €15.70

10.19%

Apples (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$2.29 €1.97

141.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.74 €1.50

-1.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.21 $4.21

$1.86 €1.60

126.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.63 €2.26

93.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.92 €1.65

60.94%

Onion (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.09 €1.80

76.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.44 €1.24

96.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$0.84 €0.72

248.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.52 $11.52

$6.78 €5.83

69.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.30 $15.30

$5.71 €4.91

167.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.38 €1.18

30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.22 €1.91

63.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.40 €2.06

27.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$132 $132

$46.78 €40.25

182.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.17 €3.59

-26.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.14 €0.98

75.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.48 $42.48

$17.68 €15.21

140.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.32 €2.00

-54.74%

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

$34.8K $34.8K

$35.3K €30.4K

-1.43%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$41.4K €35.7K

-39.86%

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

$171 $171

$170 €147

0.38%

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

$50.1 $50.1

$19.34 €16.64

159.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.5 $52.5

$33.64 €28.95

56.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.45 $44.45

$48.10 €41.39

-7.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$66.2 $66.2

$19.90 €17.12

232.61%

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 $14.71

$9.92 €8.54

48.29%

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

$1,774 $1,774

$717 €617

147.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$17.5K €15.0K

-8.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.62 $41.62

$105 €90.2

-60.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 $57.6

$46.95 €40.40

22.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 $86.5

$103 €89.0

-16.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$124 €107

-17.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,349 $2,349

$1,677 €1,443

40.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,873 $1,873

$1,271 €1,094

47.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,870 $5,870

$2,985 €2,568

96.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,974 $2,974

$1,992 €1,715

49.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,674 $8,674

$7,826 €6,734

10.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,032 $6,032

$4,658 €4,008

29.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,680 $3,680

$1,583 €1,362

132.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

3.79

62.80%

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

Last update for Queens, NY: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,349 in Queens, NY and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Queens, NY pays 132% 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: $81.0 in Queens, NY vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $442 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

Queens, NY vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Queens, NY and Lisbon differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($3,252 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 132% higher in Queens, 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: $2,349 in Queens, NY versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,774 in Queens, 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 56% higher in Queens, 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, Queens, 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 40% less than in Queens, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.