Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chicago, IL and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $3,185 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $11,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

153

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
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Chicago, IL Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chicago, IL 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 Chicago, IL and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $3,185 per month in Chicago, IL vs $2,223 in Lisbon, rent included.

Chicago, IL $3,185
Lisbon $2,223

A couple spends around $4,631 per month in Chicago, IL vs $3,271 in Lisbon, rent included.

Chicago, IL $4,631
Lisbon $3,271

A family of three spends $6,077 per month in Chicago, IL vs $4,319 in Lisbon, rent included.

Chicago, IL $6,077
Lisbon $4,319

Chicago, IL costs about 43% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chicago, IL and Lisbon sit above the global median – Chicago, IL by 136%, Lisbon by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.58 $21.58

$16.50 €14.67

30.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.7 $88.7

$61.3 €54.5

44.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 $13.20

$11.27 €10.03

17.13%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$3.06 €2.72

82.68%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$2.26 €2.01

16.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.73 €1.54

30.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$3.39 €3.02

109.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.23 $9.23

$3.40 €3.02

171.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.12 €1.00

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.86 €1.65

106.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.07 $5.07

$1.53 €1.36

231.37%

Eggs

$4.84 $4.84

$3.96 €3.53

22.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.17 $14.17

$12.76 €11.35

11.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$7.90 €7.02

84.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.76 $18.76

$16.97 €15.09

10.55%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$2.27 €2.02

128.63%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.75 €1.55

14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$1.85 €1.64

116.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$2.57 €2.28

93.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.86 €1.65

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.02 €1.80

31.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.44 €1.28

47.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$0.82 €0.73

276.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$16.05 $16.05

$6.56 €5.83

144.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.20 $15.20

$5.62 €5.00

170.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.28 €1.14

104.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.07 €1.84

67.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.35 €2.09

5.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$75.1 $75.1

$44.18 €39.30

69.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.99 €3.55

-19.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.09 €0.97

27.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.02 $25.02

$16.64 €14.81

50.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$2.28 €2.03

-45.61%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$33.7K €30.0K

10.41%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$39.3K €35.0K

-34.28%

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

$192 $192

$167 €149

14.80%

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

$67.8 $67.8

$18.80 €16.72

260.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.9 $60.9

$33.09 €29.43

83.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.6 $53.6

$46.01 €40.93

16.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.90 $27.90

$19.19 €17.07

45.39%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$9.84 €8.75

80.89%

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

$1,554 $1,554

$677 €602

129.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.4K $31.4K

$16.9K €15.1K

85.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 $67.9

$101 €90.1

-32.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$45.76 €40.70

10.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$100.0 €88.9

1.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$123 €109

16.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,383 $2,383

$1,614 €1,436

47.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,712 $1,712

$1,197 €1,065

43.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,674 $4,674

$2,862 €2,545

63.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 $2,738

$1,990 €1,770

37.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,158 $4,158

$7,577 €6,740

-45.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,691 $2,691

$4,307 €3,831

-37.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,894 $4,894

$1,588 €1,412

208.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

3.85

75.84%

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

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chicago, IL

$1.7K 53.8%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 30.1% $515

Groceries & Markets

Chicago, IL

$451 14.2%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 40.3% $182

Eating Out

Chicago, IL

$353 11.1%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 31.4% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chicago, IL

$321 10.1%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 31.7% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Chicago, IL

$164 5.1%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 1.8% $2.9

Getting Around

Chicago, IL

$95 3%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 33.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Chicago, IL

$89 2.8%

Lisbon

$66 3% 26.3% $23

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,383 in Chicago, IL versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 208% higher in Chicago, IL, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL versus $61.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $451 vs $269 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

02:53 2:53 AM

08:53 8:53 AM

6 h ahead of Chicago, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,746,388

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

On the map

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Between locations

Chicago, IL Lisbon 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chicago, IL
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

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

Monthly costs with rent: $3,185 in Chicago, IL, $2,223 in Lisbon – roughly 43% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,777 per month in Chicago, IL and $3,335 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 67% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $89.0 in Chicago, IL and $61.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,223, than in Chicago, IL at $3,185. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,223 in Lisbon to $3,185 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.