Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Plaines, IL and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Plaines, IL and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,581 in Des Plaines, IL versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,855 in Des Plaines, IL versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,129 in Des Plaines, IL versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Des Plaines, IL is roughly 17% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Des Plaines, IL 93% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.26 $15.26

$15.91 €13.69

-4.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$64.8 €55.7

22.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 $10.88

$10.51 €9.04

3.52%

Cappuccino

$5.42 $5.42

$2.87 €2.47

88.85%

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

$2.64 $2.64

$2.24 €1.93

17.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.50 €1.29

56.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$3.49 €3.00

71.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.98 $6.98

$3.88 €3.34

79.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.14 €0.98

-19.30%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 $4.06

$1.75 €1.51

132.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$1.76 €1.51

201.70%

Eggs

$4.12 $4.12

$3.22 €2.77

27.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.62 $13.62

$13.49 €11.61

0.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.27 $13.27

$7.91 €6.81

67.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.44 $16.44

$15.87 €13.65

3.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$2.31 €1.99

94.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.70 €1.46

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.01 €1.73

114.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.46 €2.12

81.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.84 €1.59

38.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.00 €1.72

35.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.93 €1.66

5.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$0.79 €0.68

148.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.36 $14.36

$6.61 €5.68

117.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$5.72 €4.92

159.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.37 €1.17

68.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.97 €2.56

25.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.37 €2.04

-18.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 $4.40

$4.29 €3.69

2.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$0.82 €0.70

74.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.10 $25.10

$18.30 €15.74

37.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$2.06 €1.78

-47.09%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.3K €29.5K

-27.05%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$39.3K €33.8K

-35.96%

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

$182 $182

$148 €127

23.21%

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

$50.1 $50.1

$20.52 €17.65

144.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.1 $66.1

$39.61 €34.08

66.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.79 $43.79

$47.85 €41.16

-8.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.44 $39.44

$18.92 €16.28

108.46%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$9.18 €7.90

60.13%

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

$1,653 $1,653

$614 €528

169.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.7K $24.7K

$16.0K €13.8K

53.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$105 €90.0

-37.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.84 $48.84

$42.06 €36.18

16.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 $97.3

$94.0 €80.8

3.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$120 €103

11.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,602 $1,602

$1,628 €1,400

-1.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,379 $1,379

$1,255 €1,080

9.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,631 $2,631

$3,030 €2,607

-13.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,224 $2,224

$2,020 €1,738

10.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,192 $3,192

$7,800 €6,709

-59.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,480 $2,480

$4,273 €3,675

-41.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,104 $6,104

$1,603 €1,379

280.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

3.81

73.23%

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

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,602 in Des Plaines, IL and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays 281% 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: $79.0 in Des Plaines, IL vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

Des Plaines, IL and Lisbon differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($2,581 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Des Plaines, IL pays 281% 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: $1,602 in Des Plaines, IL versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,653 in Des Plaines, IL versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $79.0 in Des Plaines, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Des Plaines, 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 17% less than in Des Plaines, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.