Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Joseph, MI and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Joseph, MI and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,918 in Saint Joseph, MI versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,070 in Saint Joseph, MI versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,223 in Saint Joseph, MI versus $4,307 in Lisbon.

Living in Saint Joseph, MI costs roughly 16% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Joseph, MI 44% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.97 $15.97

$15.75 €13.64

1.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.3 $59.3

$63.5 €55.0

-6.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.05 $9.05

$10.45 €9.05

-13.40%

Cappuccino

$4.23 $4.23

$2.91 €2.52

45.36%

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

$2.35 $2.35

$2.29 €1.98

2.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.50 €1.30

8.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.56 €3.09

15.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 $5.59

$3.96 €3.43

41.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.08 €0.94

-27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.76 €1.53

65.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$1.70 €1.47

195.88%

Eggs

$3.99 $3.99

$3.25 €2.81

22.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.92 $10.92

$13.25 €11.47

-17.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.51 $10.51

$7.70 €6.67

36.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.39 $8.39

$15.77 €13.66

-46.80%

Apples (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$2.28 €1.97

136.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.66 €1.43

-24.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$2.02 €1.75

174.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$2.47 €2.14

128.34%

Potato (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$1.79 €1.55

106.70%

Onion (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$2.07 €1.79

113.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.97 €1.71

-0.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.83 €0.72

85.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.22 $8.22

$6.55 €5.68

25.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.37 $8.37

$5.57 €4.82

50.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.33 €1.15

26.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.01 €2.60

23.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.27 €1.97

-13.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$4.23 €3.66

20.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$0.85 €0.73

91.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.71 $49.71

$18.83 €16.31

163.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$2.02 €1.75

-58.42%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$35.0K €30.3K

-34.57%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$39.6K €34.3K

-23.86%

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

$185 $185

$148 €128

24.91%

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

$57.5 $57.5

$20.52 €17.77

180.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.1 $71.1

$39.52 €34.23

79.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.48 $39.48

$48.17 €41.72

-18.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$10.36 $10.36

$9.10 €7.88

13.85%

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

$961 $961

$615 €532

56.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$16.3K €14.1K

44.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.37 $40.37

$102 €88.0

-60.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.18 $47.18

$42.09 €36.45

12.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 $74.2

$92.3 €79.9

-19.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.8 $73.8

$122 €106

-39.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,058 $1,058

$1,612 €1,396

-34.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$829 $829

$1,254 €1,086

-33.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,912 $1,912

$3,069 €2,658

-37.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,783 $1,783

$2,037 €1,764

-12.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,350 $2,350

$7,751 €6,712

-69.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,570 $2,570

$4,286 €3,712

-40.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,845 $4,845

$1,602 €1,387

202.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

3.81

54.86%

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

Last update for Saint Joseph, MI: July 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,058 in Saint Joseph, MI and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Saint Joseph, MI pays 202% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $59.0 in Saint Joseph, MI vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $347 vs $267, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Saint Joseph, MI vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Joseph, MI and Lisbon differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($1,918 vs $2,280 including rent). Saint Joseph, MI is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 202% higher in Saint Joseph, MI, 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: $1,058 in Saint Joseph, MI versus $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,918 per month in Saint Joseph, MI versus $2,280 in Lisbon – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,918 in Saint Joseph, MI versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Saint Joseph, MI but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Saint Joseph, MI 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, Saint Joseph, MI 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 Saint Joseph, MI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.