Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Trenton, NJ and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,571 in Trenton, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Trenton, NJ
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Trenton, NJ Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Trenton, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,571

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,571 in Trenton, NJ versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Trenton, NJ $2,571
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,157 in Trenton, NJ versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Trenton, NJ $4,157
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,742 in Trenton, NJ versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Trenton, NJ $5,742
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Trenton, NJ is roughly 17% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Trenton, NJ 90% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.04 $18.04

$17.04 €15.15

5.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.2 $64.2

$62.3 €55.4

3.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.81 $11.81

$11.02 €9.80

7.17%

Cappuccino

$4.94 $4.94

$3.12 €2.78

58.33%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$2.27 €2.02

11.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.74 €1.55

22.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 $6.82

$3.42 €3.04

99.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 $7.85

$3.74 €3.33

109.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.17 €1.04

2.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$1.86 €1.66

108.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.54 €1.37

16.23%

Eggs

$4.79 $4.79

$4.06 €3.61

17.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.17 $12.17

$12.91 €11.49

-5.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.19 $10.19

$7.90 €7.03

28.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.24 $11.24

$17.64 €15.69

-36.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.26 €2.01

84.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$1.75 €1.55

25.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$1.89 €1.68

77.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.56 €2.27

69.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.85 €1.64

9.73%

Onion (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$1.97 €1.75

66.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.45 €1.29

36.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$0.77 €0.69

162.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.85 $14.85

$6.71 €5.97

121.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.84 $7.84

$5.67 €5.04

38.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.37 €1.22

93.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.11 €1.88

57.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.32 €2.07

-20.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.6 $56.6

$44.43 €39.52

27.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.95 €3.51

-22.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.05 €0.93

103.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.04 $42.04

$17.15 €15.26

145.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.19 €1.95

-54.79%

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

$30.7K $30.7K

$33.8K €30.0K

-9.19%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$38.3K €34.0K

-33.10%

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

$140 $140

$164 €146

-14.36%

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

$61.2 $61.2

$18.48 €16.43

231.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.0 $61.0

$32.96 €29.32

85.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.03 $30.03

$45.87 €40.80

-34.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$12.22 $12.22

$9.75 €8.67

25.33%

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

$2,653 $2,653

$684 €608

287.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.6K $34.6K

$17.6K €15.7K

96.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.0 $62.0

$104 €92.3

-40.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 $50.7

$46.20 €41.09

9.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 $88.9

$99.7 €88.7

-10.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 $120

$125 €111

-3.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,736 $1,736

$1,589 €1,414

9.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 $1,376

$1,169 €1,040

17.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,395 $2,395

$2,851 €2,536

-15.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,085 $3,085

$1,993 €1,773

54.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,108 $3,108

$7,793 €6,932

-60.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,107 $3,107

$4,418 €3,930

-29.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,376 $3,376

$1,600 €1,423

111.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

3.85

73.25%

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

Last update for Trenton, NJ: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Trenton, NJ

$1.4K 53.5%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 15.1% $207

Groceries & Markets

Trenton, NJ

$348 13.5%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 21.5% $75

Eating Out

Trenton, NJ

$308 12%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 19.5% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Trenton, NJ

$263 10.2%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 18% $47

Clothing & Footwear

Trenton, NJ

$145 5.6%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 16.3% $24

Getting Around

Trenton, NJ

$78 3%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 19.1% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Trenton, NJ

$54 2.1%

Lisbon

$65 3% 20% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,736 in Trenton, NJ and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Trenton, NJ pays 111% 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: $64.0 in Trenton, NJ vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Trenton, NJ

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

07:39 7:39 AM

12:39 12:39 PM

5 h ahead of Trenton, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,923

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Trenton, NJ Lisbon 5,500 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Trenton, NJ
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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

Trenton, NJ vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Trenton, NJ and Lisbon differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($2,571 vs $2,202 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 111% higher in Trenton, NJ, 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: $1,736 in Trenton, NJ versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,653 in Trenton, NJ versus $684 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Trenton, NJ. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,571 in Trenton, NJ, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Trenton, NJ. 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, Trenton, NJ 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 17% less than in Trenton, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.