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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,444 in Elgin, IL versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,486 in Elgin, IL versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,528 in Elgin, IL versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Elgin, IL is roughly 11% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Elgin, IL 82% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.13 $15.13

$15.91 €13.70

-4.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.7 $59.7

$64.8 €55.8

-7.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.16 $10.16

$10.51 €9.05

-3.33%

Cappuccino

$4.02 $4.02

$2.87 €2.47

40.07%

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

$2.74 $2.74

$2.24 €1.93

22.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.50 €1.29

30.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$3.49 €3.01

75.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.88 €3.34

31.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.74 $0.74

$1.14 €0.98

-35.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$1.75 €1.51

110.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.18 $5.18

$1.76 €1.51

194.32%

Eggs

$4.05 $4.05

$3.22 €2.77

25.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.11 $11.11

$13.49 €11.61

-17.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.44 $13.44

$7.91 €6.81

69.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 $10.93

$15.87 €13.67

-31.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.31 €1.99

-7.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.70 €1.46

-35.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.01 €1.73

-16.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.46 €2.12

10.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.84 €1.59

40.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$2.00 €1.72

44.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.93 €1.66

1.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$0.79 €0.68

149.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.03 $10.03

$6.61 €5.69

51.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.58 $15.58

$5.72 €4.93

172.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.37 €1.18

71.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.66 $4.66

$2.97 €2.56

56.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.37 €2.04

-13.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.62 $4.62

$4.29 €3.69

7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.82 €0.70

160.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.60 $27.60

$18.30 €15.76

50.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$2.06 €1.78

-57.77%

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

$25.0K $25.0K

$34.3K €29.5K

-26.93%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$39.3K €33.8K

-36.58%

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

$98.8 $98.8

$148 €127

-33.20%

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

$51.7 $51.7

$20.52 €17.67

152.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.44 $49.44

$39.61 €34.10

24.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.26 $43.26

$47.85 €41.19

-9.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$15.19 $15.19

$9.18 €7.91

65.47%

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

$1,644 $1,644

$614 €529

167.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K $24.9K

$16.0K €13.8K

55.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.93 $39.93

$105 €90.1

-61.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.28 $49.28

$42.06 €36.21

17.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.1 $99.1

$94.0 €80.9

5.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 $134

$120 €103

11.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 $1,570

$1,628 €1,401

-3.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,378 $1,378

$1,255 €1,081

9.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,626 $2,626

$3,030 €2,609

-13.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,201 $2,201

$2,020 €1,739

8.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,628 $2,628

$7,800 €6,715

-66.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,410 $2,410

$4,273 €3,678

-43.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,873 $3,873

$1,603 €1,380

141.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

3.81

71.92%

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

Last update for Elgin, IL: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,570 in Elgin, IL and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elgin, IL pays 142% 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: $60.0 in Elgin, IL vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $349 vs $269, 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

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

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 11% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Elgin, IL pays 142% 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: $1,570 in Elgin, IL versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,644 in Elgin, 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 $60.0 in Elgin, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,444 in Elgin, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Elgin, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Lisbon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Elgin, IL, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Elgin, 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 11% less than in Elgin, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.