Cost of Living · US vs PT
🇺🇸 New York vs 🇵🇹 Lisbon: what everyday life costs
Monthly essentials: $2,410 in United States vs $1,298 in Portugal — 46.16% cheaper.
Biggest differences
Much cheaper in Portugal
- 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center: -50.52%
- 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center: -50.52%
- 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center: -50.52%
Closest to United States prices
- ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L: -17.89%
- 👟 Running shoes (brand): -18.21%
- 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand): -18.22%
The full basket (32 items)
| Item | United States | Portugal | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Housing | |||
| 🏙️ Rent: 1-bedroom, city center | $1,750 | $866 (800 EUR) | -50.52% |
| 🏡 Rent: 1-bedroom, outside center | $1,400 | $693 (640 EUR) | -50.52% |
| 🏢 Rent: 3-bedroom, city center | $3,200 | $1,583 (1,463 EUR) | -50.52% |
| Food out | |||
| 🍜 Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $18.00 | $10.36 (10 EUR) | -42.44% |
| 🍽️ Dinner for two, mid-range | $75.00 | $43.15 (40 EUR) | -42.47% |
| 🍔 Fast-food combo meal | $11.00 | $6.65 (6 EUR) | -39.55% |
| Groceries | |||
| 🥛 Milk, 1L | $1.10 | $0.74 (1 EUR) | -32.73% |
| 🍞 Bread, fresh loaf 500g | $3.20 | $2.14 (2 EUR) | -33.12% |
| 🥚 Eggs, dozen | $3.40 | $2.27 (2 EUR) | -33.24% |
| 🍗 Chicken breast, 1kg | $10.00 | $6.69 (6 EUR) | -33.1% |
| 🍚 White rice, 1kg | $4.00 | $2.68 (2 EUR) | -33% |
| 🍎 Apples, 1kg | $4.80 | $3.21 (3 EUR) | -33.12% |
| 🧀 Local cheese, 1kg | $12.00 | $8.03 (7 EUR) | -33.08% |
| 💧 Water, 1.5L bottle | $2.00 | $1.34 (1 EUR) | -33% |
| Drinks | |||
| 🍺 Domestic beer, pint (draught) | $6.00 | $3.45 (3 EUR) | -42.5% |
| 🍻 Imported beer, 330ml bottle | $8.00 | $6.54 (6 EUR) | -18.25% |
| ☕ Cappuccino | $5.00 | $2.88 (3 EUR) | -42.4% |
| 🥤 Coke/Pepsi, 330ml | $2.30 | $1.54 (1 EUR) | -33.04% |
| Transport | |||
| 🚇 Public transport, monthly pass | $65.00 | $39.32 (36 EUR) | -39.51% |
| 🎫 Public transport, one-way | $2.75 | $1.66 (2 EUR) | -39.64% |
| 🚕 Taxi start (normal tariff) | $4.00 | $2.30 (2 EUR) | -42.5% |
| 🛣️ Taxi, per km | $1.80 | $1.04 (1 EUR) | -42.22% |
| ⛽ Petrol/gasoline, 1L | $0.95 | $0.78 (1 EUR) | -17.89% |
| Utilities & comms | |||
| 💡 Basic utilities, 85m² apartment | $200 | $121 (112 EUR) | -39.5% |
| 🌐 Internet, 60Mbps+ unlimited | $70.00 | $42.35 (39 EUR) | -39.5% |
| 📱 Mobile plan, 10GB+ data | $45.00 | $27.23 (25 EUR) | -39.49% |
| Lifestyle | |||
| 🏋️ Gym membership, month | $50.00 | $28.77 (27 EUR) | -42.46% |
| 🎬 Cinema seat | $14.00 | $8.05 (7 EUR) | -42.5% |
| 💈 Men's haircut | $30.00 | $17.26 (16 EUR) | -42.47% |
| 👖 Jeans (mid-range brand) | $55.00 | $44.98 (42 EUR) | -18.22% |
| 👟 Running shoes (brand) | $90.00 | $73.61 (68 EUR) | -18.21% |
| 💻 Coworking hot desk, month | $250 | $144 (133 EUR) | -42.46% |
Estimated from World Bank — Consumption price levels with per-item elasticity — model figures, not quotes. Compare any pair in the interactive tool.
Related
Frequently asked questions
- How much cheaper is Portugal than United States?
- A single person's monthly essentials run about $1,298 in Portugal versus $2,410 in United States — 46.16% less. Rents differ the most; world-priced goods like petrol and electronics the least.
- What does a beer cost in Portugal?
- A domestic draught pint is roughly $3.45 in Portugal (≈ 3.19 EUR), versus about $6.00 in United States.
- How much is rent in Portugal compared to United States?
- A 1-bedroom city-center apartment is estimated at $866/month in Portugal versus $1,750/month in United States (-50.52%). Housing is the most locally-priced item in the basket.
- How are these prices estimated?
- Curated US baseline prices scaled by each country's purchasing-power price level with per-item elasticities (housing 1.4, services 1.1, groceries 0.8, world-priced goods 0.4) — model estimates for orientation, not quotes.