Cost of Living Comparison Between Silver Spring, MD and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Silver Spring, MD and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,781 in Silver Spring, MD versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,460 in Silver Spring, MD versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,140 in Silver Spring, MD versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

Living in Silver Spring, MD is roughly 25% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Silver Spring, MD 108% above, Lisbon 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.19 $20.19

$16.17 €13.81

24.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 $91.2

$64.6 €55.1

41.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.24 $9.24

$10.38 €8.86

-10.98%

Cappuccino

$5.51 $5.51

$2.77 €2.37

98.92%

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

$3.00 $3.00

$2.25 €1.92

33.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$1.57 €1.34

61.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.66 $6.66

$3.49 €2.98

90.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.70 $8.70

$4.00 €3.42

117.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.08 €0.93

-15.74%

White Bread (500g)

$4.79 $4.79

$1.74 €1.49

175.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.15 $6.15

$1.74 €1.48

253.45%

Eggs

$5.97 $5.97

$3.18 €2.71

87.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.56 $18.56

$13.43 €11.47

38.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.94 $15.94

$7.99 €6.83

99.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.44 $22.44

$16.09 €13.74

39.47%

Apples (1kg)

$7.67 $7.67

$2.28 €1.95

236.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.72 €1.47

-0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.03 $8.03

$1.94 €1.66

313.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.01 $7.01

$2.54 €2.17

175.98%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$1.83 €1.56

79.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.04 €1.74

32.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.98 €1.69

11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$0.85 €0.73

182.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.82 $10.82

$6.85 €5.85

57.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$5.78 €4.93

154.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.37 €1.17

29.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 $5.02

$2.90 €2.48

73.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.09 $5.09

$2.28 €1.95

123.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$175 $175

$46.84 €40.00

273.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.57 $4.57

$4.08 €3.48

12.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.82 €0.70

71.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.33 $29.33

$18.27 €15.60

60.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.01 €1.71

-59.70%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$35.3K €30.1K

-25.89%

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

$24.2K $24.2K

$38.5K €32.9K

-37.02%

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

$212 $212

$145 €124

46.13%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$20.96 €17.90

156.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 $66.1

$40.05 €34.21

65.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.90 $32.90

$48.79 €41.66

-32.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.34 $22.34

$18.69 €15.97

19.53%

Cinema Ticket

$17.08 $17.08

$9.06 €7.74

88.52%

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

$2,271 $2,271

$607 €518

274.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$59.1K $59.1K

$16.3K €13.9K

261.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.12 $46.12

$105 €89.4

-55.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.54 $36.54

$40.95 €34.97

-10.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 $93.3

$93.6 €79.9

-0.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$119 €101

2.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 $1,963

$1,604 €1,370

22.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,142 $1,142

$1,236 €1,055

-7.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,763 $3,763

$3,046 €2,601

23.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,487 $2,487

$2,057 €1,756

20.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,430 $5,430

$7,709 €6,583

-29.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,382 $4,382

$4,266 €3,644

2.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,905 $4,905

$1,584 €1,353

209.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

3.81

73.49%

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

Last update for Silver Spring, MD: April 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,963 in Silver Spring, MD and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Silver Spring, MD pays 210% 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: $91.0 in Silver Spring, MD vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $525 vs $271 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

Silver Spring, MD vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Silver Spring, MD and Lisbon differ by about 25% in total monthly costs ($2,781 vs $2,227 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Silver Spring, MD pays 210% 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: $1,963 in Silver Spring, MD versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,271 in Silver Spring, MD versus $607 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 94% higher in Silver Spring, MD. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,227 in Lisbon versus $2,781 in Silver Spring, MD, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Silver Spring, MD. 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, Silver Spring, MD 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 Silver Spring, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.