Cost of Living Comparison Between Carbondale, IL and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Carbondale, IL and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,435 in Carbondale, IL versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,484 in Carbondale, IL versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,532 in Carbondale, IL versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Carbondale, IL is roughly 9% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Carbondale, IL 82% above, Lisbon 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.91 $16.91

$15.73 €13.42

7.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.62 $32.62

$63.2 €53.9

-48.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.17 $8.17

$10.32 €8.80

-20.83%

Cappuccino

$2.92 $2.92

$2.81 €2.40

3.91%

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

$1.98 $1.98

$2.33 €1.99

-15.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.51 €1.29

-3.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.37 €2.87

32.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.34 $5.34

$3.91 €3.34

36.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 $0.80

$1.08 €0.92

-25.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$1.75 €1.49

64.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.75 €1.50

165.14%

Eggs

$4.13 $4.13

$3.10 €2.64

33.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$13.28 €11.33

-16.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.06 $11.06

$7.85 €6.70

40.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.23 $15.23

$16.05 €13.69

-5.11%

Apples (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$2.39 €2.04

163.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.72 €1.47

-6.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.20 $5.20

$1.97 €1.68

163.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.55 €2.17

94.90%

Potato (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.79 €1.53

172.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$1.97 €1.68

70.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.96 €1.67

15.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.84 €0.71

183.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.78 $7.78

$6.82 €5.82

14.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.77 $14.77

$5.85 €4.99

152.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.38 €1.18

28.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.92 €2.49

-36.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.29 €1.95

-11.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 $2.03

$4.12 €3.51

-50.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.35 $1.35

$0.81 €0.69

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.94 $19.94

$18.94 €16.16

5.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$2.09 €1.78

-60.77%

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

$33.3K $33.3K

$35.1K €30.0K

-5.20%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$39.7K €33.9K

-31.53%

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

$121 $121

$150 €128

-19.31%

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

$60.0 $60.0

$20.49 €17.48

192.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.12 $30.12

$39.15 €33.40

-23.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.48 $43.48

$49.65 €42.35

-12.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

Cinema Ticket

$12.96 $12.96

$9.20 €7.84

40.87%

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

$1,551 $1,551

$624 €533

148.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.0K $27.0K

$15.9K €13.6K

69.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.97 $39.97

$102 €87.2

-60.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.64 $32.64

$40.88 €34.87

-20.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.1 $74.1

$95.7 €81.6

-22.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 $139

$121 €103

15.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 $1,576

$1,653 €1,410

-4.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 $1,352

$1,233 €1,051

9.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,600 $2,600

$3,043 €2,596

-14.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,233 $2,233

$2,059 €1,756

8.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$854 $854

$7,879 €6,720

-89.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$866 $866

$4,303 €3,671

-79.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,901 $3,901

$1,566 €1,336

149.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

3.81

71.39%

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

Last update for Carbondale, IL: April 21, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,576 in Carbondale, IL and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Carbondale, IL pays 149% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $33 in Carbondale, IL vs $63 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $394 vs $270, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Carbondale, IL vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Carbondale, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Carbondale, IL pays 149% more on average, 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: $1,576 in Carbondale, IL versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Carbondale, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,435 per month in Carbondale, IL versus $2,243 in Lisbon – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,243 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Carbondale, IL 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Carbondale, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.