Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Moines, IA and Lisbon

For one person, living costs are similar in Des Moines, IA and in Lisbon: $2,171 and $2,202 a month, rent and utilities included.

105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,171 in Des Moines, IA versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Des Moines, IA $2,171
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,236 in Des Moines, IA versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Des Moines, IA $3,236
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,301 in Des Moines, IA versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Des Moines, IA $4,301
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Des Moines, IA costs roughly 1% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Des Moines, IA 60% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.69 $19.69

$17.04 €15.15

15.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$62.3 €55.4

29.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.22 $12.22

$11.02 €9.80

10.89%

Cappuccino

$6.16 $6.16

$3.12 €2.78

97.44%

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

$2.93 $2.93

$2.27 €2.02

29.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 $2.56

$1.74 €1.55

47.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.99 $4.99

$3.42 €3.04

45.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.89 $5.89

$3.74 €3.33

57.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.17 €1.04

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.86 €1.66

62.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.38 $3.38

$1.54 €1.37

119.48%

Eggs

$4.00 $4.00

$4.06 €3.61

-1.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$12.91 €11.49

-24.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 $9.91

$7.90 €7.03

25.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 $13.68

$17.64 €15.69

-22.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.26 €2.01

91.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 $1.51

$1.75 €1.55

-13.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.89 €1.68

140.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.56 €2.27

43.75%

Potato (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.85 €1.64

65.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.97 €1.75

8.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.45 €1.29

64.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.77 €0.69

184.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.85 $7.85

$6.71 €5.97

16.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$5.67 €5.04

160.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.37 €1.22

24.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.11 €1.88

46.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.32 €2.07

-25.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.1 $58.1

$44.43 €39.52

30.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$3.95 €3.51

-50.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.05 €0.93

17.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.70 $19.70

$17.15 €15.26

14.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$2.19 €1.95

-57.53%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$33.8K €30.0K

-19.56%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$38.3K €34.0K

-34.28%

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

$185 $185

$164 €146

12.69%

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

$53.6 $53.6

$18.48 €16.43

189.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$32.96 €29.32

112.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.8 $63.8

$45.87 €40.80

39.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$18.68 €16.61

7.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.99 $9.99

$9.75 €8.67

2.46%

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

$1,187 $1,187

$684 €608

73.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K $12.0K

$17.6K €15.7K

-32.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.5 $59.5

$104 €92.3

-42.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.98 $42.98

$46.20 €41.09

-6.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$99.7 €88.7

1.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$125 €111

16.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 $1,177

$1,589 €1,414

-25.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$872 $872

$1,169 €1,040

-25.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,738 $1,738

$2,851 €2,536

-39.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,394 $1,394

$1,993 €1,773

-30.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,320 $2,320

$7,793 €6,932

-70.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,325 $2,325

$4,418 €3,930

-47.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,647 $3,647

$1,600 €1,423

127.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

3.85

70.39%

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

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 34% $297

Groceries & Markets

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 21.9% $76

Eating Out

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 24.3% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 30.2% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 7.4% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9%

Lisbon

$65 3% 21.9% $18

Getting Around

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 14% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,177 in Des Moines, IA and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays 128% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $81.0 in Des Moines, IA vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $349 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

10:33 10:33 AM

6 h ahead of Des Moines, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

214,133

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

Des Moines, IA Lisbon 6,910 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Des Moines, 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

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

Des Moines, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Des Moines, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 128% higher in Des Moines, 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: $1,177 in Des Moines, IA versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Des Moines, IA – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,171 per month in Des Moines, IA versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,171 in Des Moines, IA versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Des Moines, IA but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Des Moines, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Des Moines, IA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,171 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Des Moines, IA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Des Moines, 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 Des Moines, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.