Cost of Living Comparison Between Syracuse, NY and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Syracuse, NY and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,974 in Syracuse, NY versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,347 in Syracuse, NY versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,721 in Syracuse, NY versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Syracuse, NY is roughly 33% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Syracuse, NY 122% above, Lisbon 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.66 $16.66

$15.73 €13.42

5.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.5 $93.5

$63.2 €53.9

47.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.34 $11.34

$10.32 €8.80

9.88%

Cappuccino

$5.94 $5.94

$2.81 €2.40

111.39%

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

$2.27 $2.27

$2.33 €1.99

-2.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.51 €1.29

28.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$3.37 €2.87

103.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 $7.65

$3.91 €3.34

95.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.08 €0.92

-12.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.90 $3.90

$1.75 €1.49

122.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$1.75 €1.50

222.29%

Eggs

$4.62 $4.62

$3.10 €2.64

49.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.65 $12.65

$13.28 €11.33

-4.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.01 $13.01

$7.85 €6.70

65.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.38 $17.38

$16.05 €13.69

8.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$2.39 €2.04

135.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.72 €1.47

-26.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$1.97 €1.68

171.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.08 $6.08

$2.55 €2.17

138.43%

Potato (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.79 €1.53

124.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.85 $3.85

$1.97 €1.68

95.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.96 €1.67

45.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$0.84 €0.71

198.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.46 $12.46

$6.82 €5.82

82.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$5.85 €4.99

154.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.38 €1.18

119.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 $4.85

$2.92 €2.49

66.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.29 €1.95

17.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 $112

$46.88 €39.99

139.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.86 $3.86

$4.12 €3.51

-6.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.81 €0.69

143.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.44 $29.44

$18.94 €16.16

55.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.09 €1.78

-56.46%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$35.1K €30.0K

-17.65%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$39.7K €33.9K

-35.70%

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

$235 $235

$150 €128

57.30%

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

$58.7 $58.7

$20.49 €17.48

186.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$39.15 €33.40

90.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.1 $52.1

$49.65 €42.35

4.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.02 $35.02

$18.47 €15.76

89.60%

Cinema Ticket

$15.05 $15.05

$9.20 €7.84

63.59%

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

$1,696 $1,696

$624 €533

171.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K $17.8K

$15.9K €13.6K

11.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 $53.9

$102 €87.2

-47.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.01 $48.01

$40.88 €34.87

17.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.3 $94.3

$95.7 €81.6

-1.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$121 €103

-0.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 $1,732

$1,653 €1,410

4.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

$1,233 €1,051

19.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,510 $3,510

$3,043 €2,596

15.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,458 $2,458

$2,059 €1,756

19.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,724 $1,724

$7,879 €6,720

-78.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,914 $1,914

$4,303 €3,671

-55.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,627 $3,627

$1,566 €1,336

131.56%

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 Syracuse, NY: April 22, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,732 in Syracuse, NY and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Syracuse, NY pays 132% 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: $93 in Syracuse, NY vs $63 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $448 vs $270 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

Syracuse, NY vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Syracuse, NY and Lisbon differ by about 33% in total monthly costs ($2,974 vs $2,243 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Syracuse, NY pays 132% 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: $1,732 in Syracuse, NY versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,696 in Syracuse, NY versus $624 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 66% higher in Syracuse, NY. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon 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, Syracuse, NY 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 33% less than in Syracuse, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.