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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,753 in Elgin versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,825 in Elgin versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,897 in Elgin versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Elgin costs roughly 21% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Elgin 31% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.63 £13.85

$15.91 €13.69

17.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.7 £60.0

$64.8 €55.7

24.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.59 £4.90

$10.51 €9.04

-37.30%

Cappuccino

$4.03 £3.00

$2.87 €2.47

40.42%

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

$1.35 £1.00

$2.24 €1.93

-39.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 £1.02

$1.50 €1.29

-8.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.86 £3.62

$3.49 €3.00

39.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.58 £4.15

$3.88 €3.34

43.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 £1.32

$1.14 €0.98

55.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 £1.29

$1.75 €1.51

-0.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 £2.04

$1.76 €1.51

55.68%

Eggs

$4.00 £2.97

$3.22 €2.77

24.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.72 £7.23

$13.49 €11.61

-27.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.48 £7.05

$7.91 €6.81

19.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.65 £10.15

$15.87 €13.65

-13.99%

Apples (1kg)

$3.43 £2.55

$2.31 €1.99

48.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 £0.80

$1.70 €1.46

-37.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 £1.50

$2.01 €1.73

0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.70 £2.75

$2.46 €2.12

50.41%

Potato (1kg)

$0.70 £0.52

$1.84 €1.59

-61.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.18 £0.87

$2.00 €1.72

-41.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.61 £0.46

$1.93 €1.66

-68.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 £0.74

$0.79 €0.68

25.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$21.26 £15.80

$6.61 €5.68

221.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.33 £8.42

$5.72 €4.92

98.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 £2.21

$1.37 €1.17

117.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 £2.53

$2.97 €2.56

14.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.66 £3.46

$2.37 €2.04

96.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$127 £94.1

$45.56 €39.19

177.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.35 £3.98

$4.29 €3.69

24.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 £1.68

$0.82 €0.70

175.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.01 £20.07

$18.30 €15.74

47.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 £1.48

$2.06 €1.78

-3.40%

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

$38.1K £28.3K

$34.3K €29.5K

11.18%

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

$39.4K £29.3K

$39.3K €33.8K

0.28%

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

$205 £153

$148 €127

38.91%

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

$17.43 £12.96

$20.52 €17.65

-15.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.62 £30.19

$39.61 €34.08

2.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.25 £23.23

$47.85 €41.16

-34.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.16 £9.04

$18.92 €16.28

-35.73%

Cinema Ticket

$10.74 £7.98

$9.18 €7.90

16.99%

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

$1,157 £860

$614 €528

88.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.1K £13.5K

$16.0K €13.8K

12.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.35 £27.02

$105 €90.0

-65.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.70 £19.84

$42.06 €36.18

-36.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.0 £70.6

$94.0 €80.8

1.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 £78.8

$120 €103

-11.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$934 £694

$1,628 €1,400

-42.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$622 £462

$1,255 €1,080

-50.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,848 £1,374

$3,030 €2,607

-39.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 £904

$2,020 €1,738

-39.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,618 £1,946

$7,800 €6,709

-66.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,192 £1,630

$4,273 €3,675

-48.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,995 £1,483

$1,603 €1,379

24.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.32

3.81

39.63%

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

Last update for Elgin: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $934 in Elgin and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elgin pays 24% 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 Elgin vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 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

Elgin vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elgin and Lisbon differ by about 26% in total monthly costs ($1,753 vs $2,210 including rent). Elgin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Elgin pays 24% 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: $934 in Elgin versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Elgin runs roughly 178% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,157 in Elgin versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,753 in Elgin versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Elgin but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Elgin the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Elgin 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 Elgin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.