Cost of Living Comparison Between State College, PA and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between State College, PA and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,320 in State College, PA versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,479 in State College, PA versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,638 in State College, PA versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in State College, PA is roughly 5% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: State College, PA 73% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.72 $17.72

$15.91 €13.70

11.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$64.8 €55.8

-19.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.81 $8.81

$10.51 €9.05

-16.18%

Cappuccino

$4.44 $4.44

$2.87 €2.47

54.70%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$2.24 €1.93

23.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.50 €1.29

34.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 $5.12

$3.49 €3.01

46.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 $7.03

$3.88 €3.34

81.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.14 €0.98

-16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.75 €1.51

100.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.76 €1.51

10.23%

Eggs

$3.87 $3.87

$3.22 €2.77

20.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.82 $9.82

$13.49 €11.61

-27.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.51 $8.51

$7.91 €6.81

7.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.87 $11.87

$15.87 €13.67

-25.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.31 €1.99

54.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$1.70 €1.46

-8.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.01 €1.73

155.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$2.46 €2.12

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.84 €1.59

10.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.00 €1.72

43.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.93 €1.66

10.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.79 €0.68

94.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.87 $13.87

$6.61 €5.69

109.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.97 $17.97

$5.72 €4.93

214.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$1.37 €1.18

22.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.27 $7.27

$2.97 €2.56

144.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.37 €2.04

-4.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.1 $85.1

$45.56 €39.22

86.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.24 $5.24

$4.29 €3.69

22.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.82 €0.70

170.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$44.26 $44.26

$18.30 €15.76

141.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$2.06 €1.78

-56.80%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$34.3K €29.5K

-30.06%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$39.3K €33.8K

-39.49%

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

$155 $155

$148 €127

5.04%

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

$39.87 $39.87

$20.52 €17.67

94.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.7 $60.7

$39.61 €34.10

53.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.23 $25.23

$47.85 €41.19

-47.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$12.21 $12.21

$9.18 €7.91

33.01%

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

$906 $906

$614 €529

47.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.8K $28.8K

$16.0K €13.8K

79.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.79 $45.79

$105 €90.1

-56.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.51 $40.51

$42.06 €36.21

-3.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.6 $80.6

$94.0 €80.9

-14.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$120 €103

-5.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,479 $1,479

$1,628 €1,401

-9.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,183 $1,183

$1,255 €1,081

-5.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,835 $2,835

$3,030 €2,609

-6.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 $2,023

$2,020 €1,739

0.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,607 $2,607

$7,800 €6,715

-66.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,213 $2,213

$4,273 €3,678

-48.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,388 $4,388

$1,603 €1,380

173.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

3.81

71.39%

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

Last update for State College, PA: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,479 in State College, PA and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

State College, PA pays 174% 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: $52.0 in State College, PA vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $269, 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

State College, PA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

State College, PA and Lisbon differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,320 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

State College, PA pays 174% 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: $1,479 in State College, PA versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $906 in State College, PA versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in State College, PA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,320 in State College, PA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in State College, PA. 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, State College, PA 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 5% less than in State College, PA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.