Cost of Living Comparison Between Shelby, NC and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Shelby, NC and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,963 in Shelby, NC versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,711 in Shelby, NC versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,459 in Shelby, NC versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Shelby, NC costs roughly 12% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Shelby, NC 46% above, Lisbon 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.90 $13.90

$15.73 €13.42

-11.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.26 $35.26

$63.2 €53.9

-44.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 $9.30

$10.32 €8.80

-9.88%

Cappuccino

$3.72 $3.72

$2.81 €2.40

32.38%

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

$1.46 $1.46

$2.33 €1.99

-37.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.51 €1.29

-19.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.37 €2.87

-24.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$3.91 €3.34

-24.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.08 €0.92

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.75 €1.49

52.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.75 €1.50

96.57%

Eggs

$4.29 $4.29

$3.10 €2.64

38.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.52 $9.52

$13.28 €11.33

-28.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$7.85 €6.70

62.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.83 $22.83

$16.05 €13.69

42.24%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$2.39 €2.04

110.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.72 €1.47

6.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$1.97 €1.68

157.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.55 €2.17

22.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$1.79 €1.53

87.15%

Onion (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$1.97 €1.68

140.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.96 €1.67

2.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$0.84 €0.71

114.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.80 $8.80

$6.82 €5.82

29.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.03 $15.03

$5.85 €4.99

156.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.38 €1.18

47.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.92 €2.49

-9.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.29 €1.95

-13.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.04 $2.04

$4.12 €3.51

-50.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.81 €0.69

195.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.84 $17.84

$18.94 €16.16

-5.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$2.09 €1.78

-63.16%

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

$23.7K $23.7K

$35.1K €30.0K

-32.42%

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

$22.0K $22.0K

$39.7K €33.9K

-44.49%

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

$223 $223

$150 €128

49.38%

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

$34.99 $34.99

$20.49 €17.48

70.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.11 $49.11

$39.15 €33.40

25.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.39 $42.39

$49.65 €42.35

-14.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

Cinema Ticket

$14.94 $14.94

$9.20 €7.84

62.39%

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

$305 $305

$624 €533

-51.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.4K $22.4K

$15.9K €13.6K

40.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.97 $49.97

$102 €87.2

-51.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.85 $34.85

$40.88 €34.87

-14.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.1 $70.1

$95.7 €81.6

-26.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.6 $80.6

$121 €103

-33.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,572 $1,572

$1,653 €1,410

-4.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 $820

$1,233 €1,051

-33.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,578 $2,578

$3,043 €2,596

-15.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,152 $1,152

$2,059 €1,756

-44.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,496 $2,496

$7,879 €6,720

-68.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,447 $2,447

$4,303 €3,671

-43.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,501 $2,501

$1,566 €1,336

59.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.38

3.81

67.45%

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

Last update for Shelby, NC: April 21, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,572 in Shelby, NC and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Shelby, NC pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $35 in Shelby, NC vs $63 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $393 vs $270, 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

Shelby, NC vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shelby, NC and Lisbon differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($1,963 vs $2,243 including rent). Shelby, NC is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Shelby, NC pays 60% 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: $1,572 in Shelby, NC versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 46% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,963 per month in Shelby, NC versus $2,243 in Lisbon – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Shelby, NC 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, Shelby, NC 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 Shelby, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.