Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Madison, IA and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Fort Madison, IA and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,540 per month in Fort Madison, IA vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,783 per month in Fort Madison, IA vs $3,289 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $5,026 per month in Fort Madison, IA vs $4,369 in Lisbon, rent included.

Fort Madison, IA costs about 15% more than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Fort Madison, IA and Lisbon sit above the global median – Fort Madison, IA by 90%, Lisbon by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.32 $19.32

$15.71 €13.76

22.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.1 $74.1

$62.9 €55.1

17.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.07 $11.07

$10.53 €9.23

5.13%

Cappuccino

$5.04 $5.04

$2.88 €2.53

75.00%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$2.25 €1.97

12.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.56 €1.36

31.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$3.39 €2.97

78.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$3.90 €3.41

78.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.08 €0.95

-3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.73 €1.51

101.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$1.76 €1.54

142.05%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.16 €2.77

31.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.44 $12.44

$13.29 €11.64

-6.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.38 $11.38

$7.87 €6.89

44.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.32 $15.32

$15.84 €13.88

-3.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$2.40 €2.11

107.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.70 €1.49

-4.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.03 €1.78

112.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$2.52 €2.21

82.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.87 $2.87

$1.86 €1.63

54.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.06 €1.81

33.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.00 €1.75

4.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$0.78 €0.68

167.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.86 $9.86

$6.65 €5.82

48.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 $14.84

$5.78 €5.06

156.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.38 €1.21

32.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.02 €2.64

14.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.33 €2.04

-11.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$4.08 €3.57

-16.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.80 €0.70

98.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.11 $29.11

$18.65 €16.34

56.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$2.00 €1.75

-56.00%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$35.4K €31.0K

-17.13%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$39.1K €34.2K

-35.26%

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

$191 $191

$150 €132

27.33%

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

$52.6 $52.6

$20.55 €18.01

155.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.2 $68.2

$39.45 €34.56

72.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.68 $42.68

$48.06 €42.11

-11.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.38

Cinema Ticket

$13.61 $13.61

$9.30 €8.15

46.34%

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

$1,316 $1,316

$628 €550

109.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$16.5K €14.4K

43.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.8 $51.8

$102 €89.0

-48.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.66 $40.66

$41.55 €36.40

-2.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 $85.6

$92.5 €81.0

-7.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$123 €107

-7.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 $1,625

$1,628 €1,426

-0.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,343 $1,343

$1,233 €1,080

8.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,627 $2,627

$3,126 €2,739

-15.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,259 $2,259

$2,058 €1,803

9.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,915 $2,915

$7,762 €6,801

-62.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,136 $2,136

$4,386 €3,843

-51.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,420

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

3.81

70.87%

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

Last update for Fort Madison, IA: July 21, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,625 in Fort Madison, IA versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Fort Madison, IA versus $63.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $387 vs $269 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Fort Madison, IA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,540 in Fort Madison, IA, $2,210 in Lisbon – roughly 15% apart. Fort Madison, IA costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,809 per month in Fort Madison, IA and $3,315 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.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $74.0 in Fort Madison, IA and $63.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 44% more in Fort Madison, IA, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,540 in Fort Madison, IA and $2,210 in Lisbon. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,210 in Lisbon to $2,540 in Fort Madison, IA. 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, Fort Madison, IA makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.