✦ Compare
Lisbon vs
Washington
Cost-of-living comparison and salary equivalence. Enter your current salary to see what you'd need to earn to live equally well.
Lisbon, PT vs Washington, DC at a glance — Washington, DC is 12% more expensive than Lisbon, PT overall. Median 1-bed rent runs about $2,300/mo versus $1,300/mo. Top income tax: 37% vs 48%.
To keep the same standard of living in Washington, DC, you'd need
$84,230 / year
Washington, DC is 12% more expensive overall
Category breakdown (Washington, DC vs Lisbon, PT)
- Housing+22%
- Food & groceries-1%
- Transport+36%
- Utilities-14%
- Healthcare+16%
- Goods & services+5%
Median 1-bed rent
$1,300 /mo
Lisbon, PT overview →
Median 1-bed rent
$2,300 /mo
Washington, DC overview →
◎ How Lisbon, PT and Washington, DC compare
Index vs the US average — the line marks 100. Lower is cheaper.
▤ Full comparison
| Lisbon, PT | Washington, DC | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost of living | ||
| Overall cost index | 97 | 108 |
| Housing | 118 | 144 |
| Food | 92 | 91 |
| Transport | 70 | 95 |
| Utilities | 100 | 86 |
| Healthcare | 75 | 87 |
| Goods & services | 92 | 97 |
| Housing | ||
| Rent, 1-bed centre | $1,300/mo | $2,300/mo |
| Rent, 1-bed outside | $950/mo | $1,800/mo |
| Rent, 3-bed centre | $2,400/mo | $4,500/mo |
| Buy price / m² centre | $6,000 | $8,500 |
| Money & purchasing power | ||
| $1,000 goes as far as | $1,035 | $922 |
| Inexpensive meal | $12 | $20 |
| Monthly transit pass | $45 | $100 |
| Taxes | ||
| Income tax (top rate) | 48% | 37% |
| VAT / sales tax | 23% | 0% |
| Social security (employee) | — | 7.7% |
| Corporate tax | 21% | 21% |
| Capital gains | 28% | 20% |
| Economy & salaries | ||
| Avg net salary | $1,300/mo | $4,300/mo |
| Minimum wage | $1,244/mo✓ | $1,257/mo✓ |
| GDP per capita | $32,082✓ | $90,027✓ |
| Inflation (annual) | 2.3%✓ | — |
| Work & digital nomad | ||
| Digital-nomad visa | Yes | No |
| English proficiency | Moderate | Native |
| Coworking spaces | 60 | 80 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 | UTC-5 |
| Quality of life | ||
| Quality of life (overall) | 75 | 67 |
| Safety index | 68 | 50 |
| Healthcare index | 76 | 80 |
| Pollution index | 40 | 40 |
| Internet speed | 200 Mbps | 200 Mbps |
| Walkability | 82 | 77 |
| Public transport | 78 | 72 |
| Family-friendly | 66 | 62 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink | Safe to drink |
| Health insurance | — | $470/mo |
| Life expectancy | 82 yr✓ | 79 yr✓ |
| LGBTQ+ acceptance | High | High |
| Climate | ||
| January avg | +11 °C | +2 °C |
| July avg | +23 °C | +27 °C |
| Sunny days / year | 260 | 203 |
| Rainfall / year | 725 mm | 1,000 mm |
| Connectivity | ||
| Flight to nearest hub | 1 h | 1 h |
Taxes & Economy & salaries: Portugal vs United States. Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.
✓ = official statistics (Eurostat 2026, US DOL (federal), World Bank 2025, World Bank 2024). Unmarked figures are CostTrek estimates. How we calculate these figures →
Cost of living: Lisbon vs Washington — in your currency
Converted from USD at approximate rates (2026-09).
Good to know before you move to Lisbon
Sunny, hilly and the poster child for the digital-nomad wave — locals feel priced out as rents climb.
- Currency
- Euro (€ EUR)
- Languages
- Portuguese
- Time zone
- UTC+0
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Fairly common
- Safety
- 68/100
- Climate
- ❄ 11°C · ☀ 23°C · 260 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- F · 230V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Alfama · Príncipe Real · Alcântara
Good to know before you move to Washington
The US capital — stable government and consulting jobs, a strong transit system and grand monuments.
- Currency
- US dollar ($ USD)
- Languages
- English
- Time zone
- UTC-5
- Internet
- 200 Mbps
- English
- Native language
- Safety
- 50/100
- Climate
- ❄ 2°C · ☀ 27°C · 203 sunny days/yr
- Tap water
- Safe to drink
- Power
- A/B · 120V
- Driving
- Right-hand side
- Popular areas
- Dupont Circle · Georgetown · Shaw
Plan your move to Lisbon
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalLocalrent
- Airport transferWelcome Pickups
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- Tours & ticketsTiqets
- InsuranceSafetyWing
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Flight compensationAirHelp
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Plan your move to Washington
Everything you will book for the move — sorted, and updated as we add partners.
- FlightsCheapvuelos
- FlightsAviasales
- HotelsPlanetofhotels
- Car rentalEconomybookings
- Airport transferKiwitaxi
- Tours & ticketsKlook
- eSIM / dataAiralo
- Luggage storageRadical Storage
- Parking & carWay.com
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? Frequently asked questions
Moving from Lisbon to Washington: cheaper or more expensive?
Moving from Lisbon to Washington, your cost of living will be roughly 12% more expensive. Washington’s cost-of-living index is 108 versus 97 for Lisbon (US = 100). Use the salary tool above to see the income you’d need to keep the same lifestyle.
Is Lisbon cheaper than Washington?
Washington is about 12% more expensive than Lisbon overall — its cost-of-living index is 108 versus 97 for Lisbon.
Which is more expensive, Lisbon or Washington?
Washington is more expensive than Lisbon. Its cost-of-living index is 108 vs 97 (US = 100) — about 11% higher.
Is rent cheaper in Lisbon or Washington?
Rent is cheaper in Lisbon — about $1,300/month for a one-bedroom in the city centre, vs $2,300 in Washington.
How much do you need to earn in Washington to live like in Lisbon?
To keep the same standard of living, a $75,000 salary in Lisbon is worth about $84,230 in Washington. Enter your own figure in the calculator above.
Which has lower taxes, Lisbon or Washington?
United States has the lower top income-tax rate — 37% versus 48% in Portugal.
◷ More comparisons from Lisbon
How we calculate these figures →
Estimates use approximate cost-of-living indices (US average = 100) and are for general guidance only.