Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salem, OR and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,741 in Salem, OR, rent and utilities included – about $6,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

133

Cost of Living Index in Salem, OR
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Salem, OR Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Salem, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,741

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Salem, OR 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 Salem, OR and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,741 in Salem, OR versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Salem, OR $2,741
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,927 in Salem, OR versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Salem, OR $3,927
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,114 in Salem, OR versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Salem, OR $5,114
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Salem, OR is roughly 25% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Salem, OR 102% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.72 $19.72

$17.04 €15.15

15.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.4 $94.4

$62.3 €55.4

51.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$11.02 €9.80

10.25%

Cappuccino

$4.66 $4.66

$3.12 €2.78

49.36%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$2.27 €2.02

7.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.74 €1.55

21.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$3.42 €3.04

44.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.15 $7.15

$3.74 €3.33

91.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$1.17 €1.04

White Bread (500g)

$3.81 $3.81

$1.86 €1.66

104.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.54 €1.37

169.48%

Eggs

$4.99 $4.99

$4.06 €3.61

22.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.49 $14.49

$12.91 €11.49

12.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.60 $13.60

$7.90 €7.03

72.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.92 $17.92

$17.64 €15.69

1.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.26 €2.01

110.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.75 €1.55

2.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.89 €1.68

99.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.56 €2.27

62.89%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.85 €1.64

65.41%

Onion (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$1.97 €1.75

72.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.45 €1.29

28.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$0.77 €0.69

189.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.62 $11.62

$6.71 €5.97

73.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$5.67 €5.04

165.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.37 €1.22

21.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.11 €1.88

38.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.32 €2.07

-14.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.32 $44.32

$44.43 €39.52

-0.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.95 €3.51

-10.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.05 €0.93

102.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.26 $49.26

$17.15 €15.26

187.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$2.19 €1.95

-42.47%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$33.8K €30.0K

-24.45%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$38.3K €34.0K

-36.29%

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

$220 $220

$164 €146

34.44%

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

$60.9 $60.9

$18.48 €16.43

229.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$96.4 $96.4

$32.96 €29.32

192.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.21 $45.21

$45.87 €40.80

-1.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$14.94 $14.94

$9.75 €8.67

53.23%

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

$1,061 $1,061

$684 €608

55.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$17.6K €15.7K

-8.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 $56.4

$104 €92.3

-45.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.91 $46.91

$46.20 €41.09

1.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.6 $84.6

$99.7 €88.7

-15.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 $80.1

$125 €111

-35.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,548 $1,548

$1,589 €1,414

-2.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 $1,378

$1,169 €1,040

17.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,348 $2,348

$2,851 €2,536

-17.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,064 $2,064

$1,993 €1,773

3.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,973 $2,973

$7,793 €6,932

-61.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,981 $2,981

$4,418 €3,930

-32.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,709 $3,709

$1,600 €1,423

131.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

3.85

71.17%

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

Last update for Salem, OR: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salem, OR

$1.4K 50.3%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 15.1% $209

Groceries & Markets

Salem, OR

$416 15.2%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 34.4% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salem, OR

$378 13.8%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 43% $162

Eating Out

Salem, OR

$307 11.2%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 19.5% $60

Clothing & Footwear

Salem, OR

$121 4.4%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 39.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Salem, OR

$75 2.7%

Lisbon

$65 3% 12.9% $9.7

Getting Around

Salem, OR

$66 2.4%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 5.3% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,548 in Salem, OR and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salem, OR 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: $94.0 in Salem, OR vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $416 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salem, OR

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

01:09 1:09 AM

09:09 9:09 AM

8 h ahead of Salem, OR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

155,469

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Salem, OR Lisbon 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Salem, OR
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

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

Salem, OR and Lisbon differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,741 vs $2,202 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 Salem, OR, 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: $1,548 in Salem, OR versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,061 in Salem, OR versus $684 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Salem, OR. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,741 in Salem, OR, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Salem, OR. 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.

Safety-wise, Salem, OR 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 25% less than in Salem, OR. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.