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Lisbon vs Los Angeles cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐ต๐น Lisbon
๐บ๐ธ Los Angeles
At a glance
- Where Los Angeles is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (25%โ), Transit (21%โ)
- Where Lisbon is clearly cheaper: Beer (68%โ), Street food (58%โ), Coffee (58%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: language โ Lisbon 2 vs Los Angeles 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Lisbon | Los Angeles | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 12$14 | $ 18$18 | Lisbon โ22% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 4$4.65 | $ 11$11 | Lisbon โ58% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | $ 48$48 | Lisbon โ27% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 2$2.33 | $ 5.5$5.5 | Lisbon โ58% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | $ 9$9 | Lisbon โ68% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 9$10.5 | $ 17$17 | Lisbon โ38% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 0.8$0.93 | $ 2$2 | Lisbon โ53% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | $ 3$3 | Lisbon โ42% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 7$8.14 | $ 18$18 | Lisbon โ55% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 5$5.81 | $ 10$10 | Lisbon โ42% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 1.9$2.21 | $ 1.75$1.75 | Los Angeles โ21% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 40$46.5 | $ 35$35 | Los Angeles โ25% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 140$163 | $ 200$200 | Lisbon โ19% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 1,300$1,512 | $ 2,100$2,100 | Lisbon โ28% |
| Laundry | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | $ 4$4 | Lisbon โ27% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | $ 26$26 | Lisbon โ33% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 15$17.4 | $ 30$30 | Lisbon โ42% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 50$58.1 | $ 75$75 | Lisbon โ22% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 40$46.5 | $ 75$75 | Lisbon โ38% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 15$17.4 | $ 28$28 | Lisbon โ38% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Lisbon or Los Angeles?
Lisbon is 28% cheaper than Los Angeles. Daily budget $272 vs $368; a month $5,020 vs $7,222.
Which is easier to travel, Lisbon or Los Angeles?
About the same: Lisbon 2.0/5, Los Angeles 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Lisbon and Los Angeles?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Lisbon is about $5,020 and Los Angeles about $7,222 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.