Popular cities
Lisbon vs Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia
At a glance
- Where Philadelphia is clearly cheaper: Scooter rental (25%โ)
- Where Lisbon is clearly cheaper: Street food (61%โ), Beer (55%โ), Coffee (54%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Philadelphia is easier to travel (1.4 vs 2.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Lisbon 2 vs Philadelphia 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Lisbon | Philadelphia | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | โฌ 12$14 | $ 22$22 | Lisbon โ37% |
| Street food1 item | โฌ 4$4.65 | $ 12$12 | Lisbon โ61% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | โฌ 30$34.9 | $ 42$42 | Lisbon โ17% |
| Coffeeone cup | โฌ 2$2.33 | $ 5.1$5.1 | Lisbon โ54% |
| Beerone bottle | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | $ 6.5$6.5 | Lisbon โ55% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | โฌ 9$10.5 | $ 14$14 | Lisbon โ25% |
| Bottled water | โฌ 0.8$0.93 | $ 2$2 | Lisbon โ53% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | $ 2.8$2.8 | Lisbon โ38% |
| Taxi5 km in town | โฌ 7$8.14 | $ 15$15 | Lisbon โ46% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | โฌ 5$5.81 | $ 9$9 | Lisbon โ35% |
| Transitone ride | โฌ 1.9$2.21 | $ 2.9$2.9 | Lisbon โ24% |
| Scooter rentalper day | โฌ 40$46.5 | $ 35$35 | Philadelphia โ25% |
| Hotel night3-star | โฌ 140$163 | $ 175$175 | Lisbon โ7% |
| Studio rent (month) | โฌ 1,300$1,512 | $ 1,550$1,550 | similar |
| Laundry | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | $ 4$4 | Lisbon โ27% |
| SIM card1 week data | โฌ 15$17.4 | $ 25$25 | Lisbon โ30% |
| Haircutcut | โฌ 15$17.4 | $ 33$33 | Lisbon โ47% |
| Massage1 hour | โฌ 50$58.1 | $ 90$90 | Lisbon โ35% |
| Half-day tourper person | โฌ 40$46.5 | $ 55$55 | Lisbon โ15% |
| 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 Philadelphia?
Lisbon is 18% cheaper than Philadelphia. Daily budget $272 vs $336; a month $5,020 vs $6,015.
Which is easier to travel, Lisbon or Philadelphia?
Philadelphia is easier: Philadelphia 1.4/5 vs Lisbon 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Lisbon and Philadelphia?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Lisbon is about $5,020 and Philadelphia about $6,015 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.