Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Walnut Creek, CA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $3,979 in Walnut Creek, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Walnut Creek, CA, United States
Lisbon, Portugal
Walnut Creek, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,979
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,979 in Walnut Creek, CA versus $2,206 in Lisbon.

  • Walnut Creek, CA $3,979
  • Lisbon $2,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,560 in Walnut Creek, CA versus $3,276 in Lisbon.

  • Walnut Creek, CA $5,560
  • Lisbon $3,276

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,142 in Walnut Creek, CA versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Walnut Creek, CA $7,142
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Walnut Creek, CA is roughly 80% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Walnut Creek, CA 194% above, Lisbon 63% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Walnut Creek, CA
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.97 $19.97
$16.86 €15.02
18.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.3 $89.3
$61.0 €54.4
46.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$14.80 $14.80
$10.98 €9.78
34.79%
Cappuccino
$5.29 $5.29
$3.05 €2.72
73.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.98 $2.98
$2.28 €2.03
30.70%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 $2.33
$1.68 €1.50
38.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.14 $8.14
$3.44 €3.06
136.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.83 $7.83
$3.91 €3.48
100.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Walnut Creek, CA
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.22 $1.22
$1.15 €1.02
6.09%
White Bread (500g)
$3.29 $3.29
$1.89 €1.68
74.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$8.12 $8.12
$1.50 €1.34
441.33%
Eggs
$5.39 $5.39
$4.12 €3.67
30.83%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$26.37 $26.37
$13.01 €11.59
102.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$18.16 $18.16
$8.04 €7.17
125.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$22.47 $22.47
$17.89 €15.94
25.60%
Apples (1kg)
$8.00 $8.00
$2.27 €2.02
252.42%
Banana (1kg)
$2.15 $2.15
$1.74 €1.55
23.56%
Oranges (1kg)
$8.66 $8.66
$1.82 €1.62
375.82%
Tomato (1kg)
$7.26 $7.26
$2.69 €2.39
169.89%
Potato (1kg)
$6.80 $6.80
$1.77 €1.57
284.18%
Onion (1kg)
$2.68 $2.68
$1.94 €1.73
38.14%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.46 $2.46
$1.46 €1.30
68.49%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.31 $3.31
$0.76 €0.68
335.53%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.73 $11.73
$6.66 €5.93
76.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$19.76 $19.76
$5.64 €5.02
250.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.68 $1.68
$1.29 €1.15
30.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 $2.27
$2.14 €1.91
6.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Walnut Creek, CA
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.96 $4.96
$2.30 €2.05
115.65%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.3 $60.3
$44.02 €39.21
37.03%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.23 $3.23
$3.98 €3.55
-18.84%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.79 $1.79
$0.64 €0.57
179.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.20 $29.20
$18.93 €16.86
54.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.56 $1.56
$2.28 €2.03
-31.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$33.4K €29.7K
-18.56%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.2K $26.2K
$38.5K €34.3K
-31.87%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Walnut Creek, CA
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$190 $190
$158 €141
20.15%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$75.6 $75.6
$17.54 €15.62
330.73%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$66.9 $66.9
$31.18 €27.78
114.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Walnut Creek, CA
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$212 $212
$44.64 €39.77
375.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.13 $15.13
$18.98 €16.91
-20.28%
Cinema Ticket
$14.82 $14.82
$9.58 €8.53
54.70%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Walnut Creek, CA
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,191 $2,191
$674 €600
225.19%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.8K $21.8K
$18.7K €16.7K
16.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Walnut Creek, CA
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$72.2 $72.2
$102 €91.0
-29.37%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$62.7 $62.7
$45.90 €40.89
36.60%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 $106
$102 €91.0
3.90%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$201 $201
$122 €109
65.10%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Walnut Creek, CA
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,757 $2,757
$1,641 €1,461
68.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,179 $2,179
$1,187 €1,058
83.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$4,859 $4,859
$2,825 €2,516
72.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$3,109 $3,109
$2,018 €1,798
54.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,140 $7,140
$7,836 €6,980
-8.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$5,285 $5,285
$4,701 €4,188
12.42%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Walnut Creek, CA
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,844 $6,844
$1,687 €1,503
305.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.58
3.82
72.25%

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

Last update for Walnut Creek, CA: October 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Walnut Creek, CA
$2.2K
Lisbon
$1.2K 45.5% $992
Groceries & Markets
Walnut Creek, CA
$588
Lisbon
$275 53.3% $314
Eating Out
Walnut Creek, CA
$345
Lisbon
$245 29% $100
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Walnut Creek, CA
$333
Lisbon
$207 37.8% $126
Sport & Entertainment
Walnut Creek, CA
$242
Lisbon
$64 73.6% $178
Clothing & Footwear
Walnut Creek, CA
$199
Lisbon
$168 15.9% $32
Getting Around
Walnut Creek, CA
$92
Lisbon
$60 34.6% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,757 in Walnut Creek, CA and $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Walnut Creek, CA pays about 4.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Walnut Creek, CA vs $61 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $588 vs $275 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Walnut Creek, CA
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
15:27 3:27 PM
23:27 11:27 PM
8 h ahead of Walnut Creek, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
70,166
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 5, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Walnut Creek, CA Lisbon 9,080 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Walnut Creek, CA
  • 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
Walnut Creek, CA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Walnut Creek, CA and in Lisbon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $3,979 in Walnut Creek, CA and $2,206 in Lisbon, so Lisbon is about 45% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Walnut Creek, CA or Lisbon?
Average pay in Walnut Creek, CA is about 4.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Walnut Creek, CA and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,757 in Walnut Creek, CA versus $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Walnut Creek, CA and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $2,191 in Walnut Creek, CA versus $674 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 114% higher in Walnut Creek, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,206 in Lisbon versus $3,979 in Walnut Creek, CA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Walnut Creek, CA. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Walnut Creek, CA 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.
Is Walnut Creek, CA or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Walnut Creek, CA and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Walnut Creek, CA or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Walnut Creek, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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