Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waltham, MA and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $4,278 in Waltham, MA, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

205

Cost of Living Index in Waltham, MA
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Waltham, MA Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Waltham, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,278

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,278 in Waltham, MA versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Waltham, MA $4,278
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,563 in Waltham, MA versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Waltham, MA $6,563
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,848 in Waltham, MA versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Waltham, MA $8,848
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Waltham, MA is roughly 94% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Waltham, MA 214% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.85 $24.85

$16.65 €14.92

49.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.5 $96.5

$61.7 €55.3

56.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.02 $12.02

$11.36 €10.18

5.81%

Cappuccino

$5.17 $5.17

$2.97 €2.66

74.07%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$2.29 €2.05

28.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.74 €1.56

26.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 $5.04

$3.40 €3.05

48.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.31 €2.97

143.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.16 €1.04

-10.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 $3.92

$1.91 €1.71

105.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$1.51 €1.36

255.63%

Eggs

$4.89 $4.89

$4.02 €3.60

21.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$12.94 €11.59

-14.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.77 €6.97

82.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$17.76 €15.92

-2.25%

Apples (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$2.30 €2.06

189.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.73 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$5.48 $5.48

$1.86 €1.66

194.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$2.59 €2.32

118.15%

Potato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.82 €1.63

148.35%

Onion (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$1.97 €1.76

104.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.98 $2.98

$1.47 €1.32

102.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$0.72 €0.65

308.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.30 $13.30

$6.58 €5.90

102.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.60 $13.60

$5.61 €5.02

142.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.36 €1.22

55.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.14 €1.91

92.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.8 $58.8

$44.68 €40.04

31.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.85 €3.45

-30.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.07 €0.96

60.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.47 $28.47

$16.46 €14.75

72.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$2.20 €1.97

-52.27%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$34.2K €30.6K

-21.05%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$38.7K €34.7K

-32.58%

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

$324 $324

$161 €144

100.73%

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

$54.6 $54.6

$18.41 €16.50

196.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.2 $86.2

$32.74 €29.34

163.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$252 $252

$44.55 €39.92

465.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$14.65 $14.65

$9.60 €8.60

52.60%

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

$1,806 $1,806

$668 €598

170.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K $30.3K

$17.6K €15.8K

71.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.9 $56.9

$102 €91.4

-44.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.57 $37.57

$44.46 €39.85

-15.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.3 $81.3

$98.5 €88.3

-17.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.8 $98.8

$124 €111

-20.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,497 $2,497

$1,608 €1,441

55.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,190 €1,066

112.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,433 $5,433

$2,812 €2,520

93.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,088 $5,088

$2,013 €1,804

152.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,449 $5,449

$1,575 €1,411

245.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

3.85

72.47%

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

Last update for Waltham, MA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waltham, MA

$2.5K 59%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 52.9% $1.3K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waltham, MA

$464 10.9%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 54.3% $252

Groceries & Markets

Waltham, MA

$455 10.6%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 40.2% $183

Eating Out

Waltham, MA

$359 8.4%

Lisbon

$243 11% 32.4% $116

Sport & Entertainment

Waltham, MA

$281 6.6%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 77.4% $218

Clothing & Footwear

Waltham, MA

$124 2.9%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 34.3% $42

Getting Around

Waltham, MA

$70 * 1.6%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 9.8% $6.9

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,497 in Waltham, MA and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Waltham, MA pays about 3.5 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $96 in Waltham, MA vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $455 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waltham, MA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

08:50 8:50 AM

13:50 1:50 PM

5 h ahead of Waltham, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,636

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Waltham, MA Lisbon 5,150 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Waltham, MA
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

Waltham, MA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $4,278 in Waltham, MA and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Lisbon is about 48% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Waltham, MA is about 3.5 times higher, 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: $2,497 in Waltham, MA versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,806 in Waltham, MA versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 67% higher in Waltham, MA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $4,278 in Waltham, MA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Waltham, MA. 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, Waltham, MA and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Waltham, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.