Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Seattle, WA and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,634 in Seattle, WA versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,545 in Seattle, WA versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,456 in Seattle, WA versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Seattle, WA is roughly 61% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Seattle, WA 170% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.77 $24.77

$15.94 €13.73

55.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$63.4 €54.6

87.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.78 $13.78

$10.38 €8.95

32.76%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$2.79 €2.40

101.08%

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

$2.89 $2.89

$2.34 €2.01

23.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.57 €1.35

56.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.96 $7.96

$3.43 €2.95

132.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.21 $8.21

$3.91 €3.37

109.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.08 €0.93

28.70%

White Bread (500g)

$4.86 $4.86

$1.77 €1.52

174.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.16 $5.16

$1.71 €1.47

201.75%

Eggs

$6.61 $6.61

$3.15 €2.71

109.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.06 $25.06

$13.68 €11.79

83.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.77 $15.77

$8.01 €6.90

96.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.32 $20.32

$15.52 €13.37

30.93%

Apples (1kg)

$6.23 $6.23

$2.29 €1.98

172.05%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$1.64 €1.41

67.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$1.94 €1.67

174.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$2.51 €2.17

158.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.79 €1.54

72.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.01 €1.73

92.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.97 €1.69

39.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$0.84 €0.73

203.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.35 $11.35

$6.79 €5.85

67.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.48 $15.48

$5.67 €4.89

173.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.84 $2.84

$1.39 €1.20

104.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.24 $4.24

$3.02 €2.60

40.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.27 €1.95

18.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.8 $97.8

$45.44 €39.15

115.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.57 $2.57

$4.29 €3.70

-40.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$0.85 €0.73

102.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.17 $30.17

$18.28 €15.75

65.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.99 €1.71

-42.21%

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

$33.3K $33.3K

$35.0K €30.2K

-4.97%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$39.5K €34.1K

-32.99%

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

$263 $263

$146 €126

80.08%

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

$60.2 $60.2

$20.45 €17.62

194.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.3 $74.3

$38.98 €33.58

90.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$80.6 $80.6

$48.98 €42.21

64.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.99 $40.99

$18.83 €16.22

117.68%

Cinema Ticket

$15.91 $15.91

$9.52 €8.21

67.12%

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

$2,281 $2,281

$608 €524

275.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.8K $29.8K

$16.5K €14.2K

80.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.0 $70.0

$104 €89.5

-32.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 $53.8

$42.12 €36.29

27.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$92.2 €79.5

29.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$120 €103

18.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,312 $2,312

$1,621 €1,397

42.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 $1,829

$1,268 €1,092

44.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,694 $4,694

$3,048 €2,626

53.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,491 $3,491

$2,009 €1,731

73.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,154 $8,154

$7,663 €6,602

6.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,200 $5,200

$4,329 €3,730

20.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,564 $6,564

$1,585 €1,366

314.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

3.81

68.50%

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

Last update for Seattle, WA: June 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,312 in Seattle, WA and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Seattle, WA pays 314% 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: $119 in Seattle, WA vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $538 vs $269 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

Seattle, WA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Seattle, WA and Lisbon differ by about 61% in total monthly costs ($3,634 vs $2,263 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Seattle, WA pays 314% more on average, 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: $2,312 in Seattle, WA versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,281 in Seattle, WA versus $608 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 100% higher in Seattle, WA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,263 in Lisbon versus $3,634 in Seattle, WA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Seattle, WA. 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, Seattle, WA 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 61% less than in Seattle, WA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.