Cost of Living Comparison Between Waterford, MI and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Waterford, MI and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,529 in Waterford, MI versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,713 in Waterford, MI versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,897 in Waterford, MI versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

Living in Waterford, MI is roughly 14% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Waterford, MI 89% above, Lisbon 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.16 $18.16

$16.17 €13.81

12.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 $69.7

$64.6 €55.1

7.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.42 $9.42

$10.38 €8.86

-9.25%

Cappuccino

$4.56 $4.56

$2.77 €2.37

64.62%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$2.25 €1.92

15.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.57 €1.34

3.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$3.49 €2.98

74.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 $4.40

$4.00 €3.42

10.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.08 €0.93

-23.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.56 $3.56

$1.74 €1.49

104.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$1.74 €1.48

179.31%

Eggs

$1.97 $1.97

$3.18 €2.71

-38.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.10 $11.10

$13.43 €11.47

-17.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.23 $12.23

$7.99 €6.83

53.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.09 $15.09

$16.09 €13.74

-6.22%

Apples (1kg)

$10.45 $10.45

$2.28 €1.95

358.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.72 €1.47

-37.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.37 $6.37

$1.94 €1.66

228.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.54 €2.17

77.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.83 €1.56

18.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.04 €1.74

87.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.98 €1.69

17.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$0.85 €0.73

230.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.05 $9.05

$6.85 €5.85

32.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$5.78 €4.93

155.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.37 €1.17

35.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.90 €2.48

23.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.28 €1.95

-14.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.53 $49.53

$46.84 €40.00

5.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.08 €3.48

13.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.42 $1.42

$0.82 €0.70

73.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.31 $28.31

$18.27 €15.60

54.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.01 €1.71

-59.70%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$35.3K €30.1K

-30.80%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$38.5K €32.9K

-36.73%

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

$116 $116

$145 €124

-20.15%

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

$45.14 $45.14

$20.96 €17.90

115.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 $62.4

$40.05 €34.21

55.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.14 $43.14

$48.79 €41.66

-11.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €15.97

Cinema Ticket

$11.22 $11.22

$9.06 €7.74

23.84%

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

$932 $932

$607 €518

53.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$16.3K €13.9K

28.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.0 $64.0

$105 €89.4

-38.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.63 $39.63

$40.95 €34.97

-3.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 $100

$93.6 €79.9

6.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$119 €101

13.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,578 $1,578

$1,604 €1,370

-1.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,351 $1,351

$1,236 €1,055

9.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,593 $2,593

$3,046 €2,601

-14.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,200 $2,200

$2,057 €1,756

6.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,375 $2,375

$7,709 €6,583

-69.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,480 $2,480

$4,266 €3,644

-41.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,353

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

3.81

70.87%

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

Last update for Waterford, MI: April 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,578 in Waterford, MI and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $70.0 in Waterford, MI vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $421 vs $271 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

Waterford, MI vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waterford, MI and Lisbon differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,529 vs $2,227 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,794 in Waterford, MI and $3,341 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,578 in Waterford, MI versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $932 in Waterford, MI versus $607 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 55% higher in Waterford, MI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,227 in Lisbon versus $2,529 in Waterford, MI, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Waterford, MI. 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, Waterford, MI 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 14% less than in Waterford, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.