Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ames, IA and Lisbon

For one person, living costs are similar in Ames, IA and in Lisbon: $2,142 and $2,223 a month, rent and utilities included.

104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,142

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ames, IA and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ames, IA and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Ames, IA $2,142
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,242 in Ames, IA versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Ames, IA $3,242
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,342 in Ames, IA versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Ames, IA $4,342
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Ames, IA costs roughly 4% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ames, IA 59% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.13 $18.13

$16.50 €14.67

9.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$52.0 $52.0

$61.3 €54.5

-15.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 $12.18

$11.27 €10.03

8.07%

Cappuccino

$4.87 $4.87

$3.06 €2.72

59.15%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.26 €2.01

15.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.73 €1.54

30.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.39 €3.02

19.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 $6.81

$3.40 €3.02

100.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.12 €1.00

-20.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.55 $3.55

$1.86 €1.65

90.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.53 €1.36

113.07%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$3.96 €3.53

-15.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.08 $10.08

$12.76 €11.35

-21.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.62 $13.62

$7.90 €7.02

72.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.05 $19.05

$16.97 €15.09

12.26%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$2.27 €2.02

159.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.75 €1.55

4.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$1.85 €1.64

261.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$2.57 €2.28

103.11%

Potato (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.86 €1.65

144.09%

Onion (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.02 €1.80

101.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 $2.32

$1.44 €1.28

61.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$0.82 €0.73

197.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.03 $13.03

$6.56 €5.83

98.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.11 $16.11

$5.62 €5.00

186.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.28 €1.14

124.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.07 €1.84

140.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.35 €2.09

-57.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.57 $35.57

$44.18 €39.30

-19.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.09 $5.09

$3.99 €3.55

27.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.09 €0.97

55.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.13 $24.13

$16.64 €14.81

45.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$2.28 €2.03

-57.89%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$24.7K $24.7K

$33.7K €30.0K

-26.55%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.1K $25.1K

$39.3K €35.0K

-36.19%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$176 $176

$167 €149

5.26%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$54.3 $54.3

$18.80 €16.72

188.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$33.09 €29.43

115.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.0 $69.0

$46.01 €40.93

49.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 $19.74

$19.19 €17.07

2.87%

Cinema Ticket

$15.97 $15.97

$9.84 €8.75

62.30%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,370 $1,370

$677 €602

102.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.1K $36.1K

$16.9K €15.1K

113.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.4 $58.4

$101 €90.1

-42.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.68 $44.68

$45.76 €40.70

-2.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.1 $90.1

$100.0 €88.9

-9.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$123 €109

-14.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,005 $1,005

$1,614 €1,436

-37.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$822 $822

$1,197 €1,065

-31.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$2,862 €2,545

-34.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 $1,505

$1,990 €1,770

-24.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,432 $2,432

$7,577 €6,740

-67.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,185 $2,185

$4,307 €3,831

-49.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,597 $3,597

$1,588 €1,412

126.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.41

3.85

66.49%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Ames, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Ames, IA

$822 38.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 45.6% $375

Groceries & Markets

Ames, IA

$436 20.4%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 38.3% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ames, IA

$302 14.1%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 27.3% $82

Eating Out

Ames, IA

$293 13.7%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 17.4% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Ames, IA

$134 6.3%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 24.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Ames, IA

$101 4.7%

Lisbon

$66 3% 34.9% $35

Getting Around

Ames, IA

$53 2.5%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 18.7% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,005 in Ames, IA and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays 127% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $52.0 in Ames, IA vs $61.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $436 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

11:56 11:56 AM

17:56 5:56 PM

6 h ahead of Ames, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,427

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Ames, IA Lisbon 6,860 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Ames, IA
Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Ames, IA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ames, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ames, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 127% higher in Ames, IA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,005 in Ames, IA versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ames, IA runs roughly 24% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,370 in Ames, IA versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,142 in Ames, IA versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ames, IA but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ames, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ames, IA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,142 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ames, IA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Ames, IA and Lisbon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ames, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.