Cost of Living Comparison Between Salem, MA and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Salem, MA and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,360 in Salem, MA versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,774 in Salem, MA versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,187 in Salem, MA versus $4,307 in Lisbon.

Living in Salem, MA is roughly 47% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Salem, MA 152% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.30 $25.30

$15.75 €13.64

60.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.6 $98.6

$63.5 €55.0

55.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 $10.80

$10.45 €9.05

3.35%

Cappuccino

$4.90 $4.90

$2.91 €2.52

68.38%

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

$2.43 $2.43

$2.29 €1.98

6.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.50 €1.30

41.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.07 $8.07

$3.56 €3.09

126.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$3.96 €3.43

75.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.08 €0.94

17.59%

White Bread (500g)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.76 €1.53

143.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.79 $8.79

$1.70 €1.47

417.06%

Eggs

$4.37 $4.37

$3.25 €2.81

34.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.55 $14.55

$13.25 €11.47

9.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.30 $14.30

$7.70 €6.67

85.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.88 $8.88

$15.77 €13.66

-43.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.28 €1.97

96.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.66 €1.43

-22.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.02 €1.75

59.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$2.47 €2.14

91.90%

Potato (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$1.79 €1.55

151.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.07 €1.79

17.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.97 €1.71

27.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$0.83 €0.72

333.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.65 $9.65

$6.55 €5.68

47.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.89 $12.89

$5.57 €4.82

131.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.33 €1.15

33.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$3.01 €2.60

138.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.27 €1.97

7.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$54.6 $54.6

$46.35 €40.14

17.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$4.23 €3.66

-15.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.85 €0.73

87.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.54 $29.54

$18.83 €16.31

56.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.02 €1.75

-49.01%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$35.0K €30.3K

-14.45%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$39.6K €34.3K

-35.03%

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

$168 $168

$148 €128

13.57%

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

$90.5 $90.5

$20.52 €17.77

340.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.0 $84.0

$39.52 €34.23

112.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.68 $42.68

$48.17 €41.72

-11.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$14.97 $14.97

$9.10 €7.88

64.51%

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

$1,275 $1,275

$615 €532

107.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$16.3K €14.1K

43.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 $72.5

$102 €88.0

-28.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.4 $57.4

$42.09 €36.45

36.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.0 $96.0

$92.3 €79.9

4.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$122 €106

-17.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$1,612 €1,396

49.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 $1,972

$1,254 €1,086

57.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,777 $3,777

$3,069 €2,658

23.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,839 $2,839

$2,037 €1,764

39.38%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,702 $2,702

$7,751 €6,712

-65.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,400 $2,400

$4,286 €3,712

-44.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,519 $9,519

$1,602 €1,387

494.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

3.81

70.87%

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

Last update for Salem, MA: July 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,406 in Salem, MA and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salem, MA pays 494% 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: $99.0 in Salem, MA vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $437 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

Salem, MA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salem, MA and Lisbon differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($3,360 vs $2,280 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 494% higher in Salem, MA, 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: $2,406 in Salem, MA versus $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,275 in Salem, MA versus $615 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 64% higher in Salem, MA. 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, Salem, MA 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 47% less than in Salem, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.