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Lisbon vs New York 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 New York
At a glance
- Where Lisbon is clearly cheaper: Beer (68%โ), Taxi (65%โ), Coffee (61%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
New York is easier to travel (1.6 vs 2.0). Biggest gap: language โ Lisbon 2 vs New York 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Lisbon | New York | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 12$14 | $ 20$20 | Lisbon โ30% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 4$4.65 | $ 10$10 | Lisbon โ53% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | $ 55$55 | Lisbon โ37% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 2$2.33 | $ 6$6 | Lisbon โ61% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | $ 9$9 | Lisbon โ68% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 9$10.5 | $ 19$19 | Lisbon โ45% |
| 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 | $ 23$23 | Lisbon โ65% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 5$5.81 | $ 14$14 | Lisbon โ58% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 1.9$2.21 | $ 3$3 | Lisbon โ26% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 40$46.5 | $ 68$68 | Lisbon โ32% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 140$163 | $ 270$270 | Lisbon โ40% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 1,300$1,512 | $ 3,300$3,300 | Lisbon โ54% |
| Laundry | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | $ 4.5$4.5 | Lisbon โ35% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | $ 30$30 | Lisbon โ42% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 15$17.4 | $ 42$42 | Lisbon โ58% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 50$58.1 | $ 100$100 | Lisbon โ42% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 40$46.5 | $ 80$80 | Lisbon โ42% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | โฌ 15$17.4 | $ 30$30 | Lisbon โ42% |
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 New York?
Lisbon is 47% cheaper than New York. Daily budget $272 vs $467; a month $5,020 vs $10,297.
Which is easier to travel, Lisbon or New York?
New York is easier: New York 1.6/5 vs Lisbon 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Lisbon and New York?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Lisbon is about $5,020 and New York about $10,297 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.