Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surprise, AZ and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Surprise, AZ: $1,247 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Surprise, AZ, United States
Lisbon, Portugal
Surprise, AZ
🇺🇸 United States
$1,247
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,247 in Surprise, AZ versus $2,206 in Lisbon.

  • Surprise, AZ $1,247
  • Lisbon $2,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,512 in Surprise, AZ versus $3,276 in Lisbon.

  • Surprise, AZ $3,512
  • Lisbon $3,276

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,777 in Surprise, AZ versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Surprise, AZ $5,777
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Surprise, AZ costs roughly 43% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

The two cities straddle the global median: Surprise, AZ is 8% below, Lisbon is 63% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Surprise, AZ
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.92 $19.92
$16.86 €15.09
18.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$83.8 $83.8
$61.0 €54.6
37.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.24 $9.24
$10.98 €9.83
-15.85%
Cappuccino
$6.11 $6.11
$3.05 €2.73
100.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.10 $3.10
$2.28 €2.04
35.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.67 $2.67
$1.68 €1.51
58.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.88 $5.88
$3.44 €3.07
70.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.11 $8.11
$3.91 €3.49
107.42%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Surprise, AZ
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.84 $0.84
$1.15 €1.03
-26.96%
White Bread (500g)
$3.68 $3.68
$1.89 €1.69
94.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.23 $3.23
$1.50 €1.34
115.33%
Eggs
$4.47 $4.47
$4.12 €3.68
8.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.45 $13.45
$13.01 €11.64
3.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.78 $9.78
$8.04 €7.20
21.64%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.01 $15.01
$17.89 €16.01
-16.10%
Apples (1kg)
$5.52 $5.52
$2.27 €2.03
143.17%
Banana (1kg)
$1.87 $1.87
$1.74 €1.56
7.47%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$1.82 €1.63
130.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.72 $2.72
$2.69 €2.40
1.12%
Potato (1kg)
$3.33 $3.33
$1.77 €1.58
88.14%
Onion (1kg)
$3.24 $3.24
$1.94 €1.73
67.01%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 $1.43
$1.46 €1.31
-2.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.65 $1.65
$0.76 €0.68
117.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.30 $11.30
$6.66 €5.96
69.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.99 $13.99
$5.64 €5.05
148.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.71 $1.71
$1.29 €1.16
32.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.00 $3.00
$2.14 €1.91
40.19%
🚌 Getting Around
Surprise, AZ
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.30 €2.06
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.02 €39.39
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.13 $5.13
$3.98 €3.56
28.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.40 $1.40
$0.64 €0.57
118.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.95 $32.95
$18.93 €16.93
74.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.05 $1.05
$2.28 €2.04
-53.95%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K $34.8K
$33.4K €29.9K
4.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.2K $25.2K
$38.5K €34.5K
-34.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surprise, AZ
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$225 $225
$158 €142
42.22%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.1 $59.1
$17.54 €15.69
236.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.5 $67.5
$31.18 €27.90
116.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Surprise, AZ
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$59.1 $59.1
$44.64 €39.95
32.48%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.98 €16.98
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.81 $10.81
$9.58 €8.57
12.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Surprise, AZ
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$722 $722
$674 €603
7.13%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$28.9K $28.9K
$18.7K €16.8K
54.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Surprise, AZ
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.1 $53.1
$102 €91.4
-48.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.44 $46.44
$45.90 €41.07
1.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.4 $71.4
$102 €91.5
-30.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$73.0 $73.0
$122 €109
-40.14%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Surprise, AZ
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,641 €1,468
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$1,187 €1,062
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,078 $2,078
$2,825 €2,527
-26.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,010 $3,010
$2,018 €1,806
49.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,836 €7,011
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,590 $1,590
$4,701 €4,206
-66.18%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Surprise, AZ
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,329 $4,329
$1,687 €1,509
156.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.75
3.82
76.70%

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

Last update for Surprise, AZ: November 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Surprise, AZ
$364
Lisbon
$275 24.6% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Surprise, AZ
$352
Lisbon
$207 41.1% $145
Eating Out
Surprise, AZ
$329
Lisbon
$245 25.5% $84
Clothing & Footwear
Surprise, AZ
$110
Lisbon
$168 52.6% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Surprise, AZ
$81
Lisbon
$64 21% $17
Getting Around
Surprise, AZ
$12 *
Lisbon
$60 398% $48
Accommodation & Living
Surprise, AZ
- *
Lisbon
$1.2K

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Surprise, AZ pays about 2.6 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $84 in Surprise, AZ vs $61 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $275 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Surprise, AZ
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
06:48 6:48 AM
13:48 1:48 PM
7 h ahead of Surprise, AZ
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
143,148
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.895 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Surprise, AZ Lisbon 8,740 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Surprise, AZ
  • 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
Surprise, AZ vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Surprise, AZ and in Lisbon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,247 in Surprise, AZ and $2,206 in Lisbon, so Surprise, AZ is about 43% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Surprise, AZ or Lisbon?
Average pay in Surprise, AZ is about 2.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Surprise, AZ or Lisbon?
All in, you’ll spend $1,247 per month in Surprise, AZ versus $2,206 in Lisbon – Surprise, AZ is about 43% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,247 in Surprise, AZ versus $2,206 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Surprise, AZ but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Surprise, AZ the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Surprise, AZ and Lisbon?
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.

Surprise, AZ vs other spots: cost of living compared

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