Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Indianapolis, IN and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,785 in Indianapolis, IN, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Indianapolis, IN
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Indianapolis, IN Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Indianapolis, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,785

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,785 in Indianapolis, IN versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Indianapolis, IN $2,785
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,948 in Indianapolis, IN versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Indianapolis, IN $3,948
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,111 in Indianapolis, IN versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Indianapolis, IN $5,111
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Indianapolis, IN is roughly 25% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Indianapolis, IN 106% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 $20.31

$16.50 €14.67

23.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.8 $80.8

$61.3 €54.5

31.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 $11.83

$11.27 €10.03

4.97%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$3.06 €2.72

85.62%

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

$3.25 $3.25

$2.26 €2.01

43.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.73 €1.54

54.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.35 $6.35

$3.39 €3.02

87.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.40 €3.02

131.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.12 €1.00

-19.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.39 $3.39

$1.86 €1.65

82.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$1.53 €1.36

205.23%

Eggs

$3.61 $3.61

$3.96 €3.53

-8.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 $12.53

$12.76 €11.35

-1.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.77 $12.77

$7.90 €7.02

61.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.96 $16.96

$16.97 €15.09

-0.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.49 $5.49

$2.27 €2.02

141.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.75 €1.55

-16.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$1.85 €1.64

167.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$2.57 €2.28

69.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.86 €1.65

29.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.02 €1.80

47.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.44 €1.28

68.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$0.82 €0.73

203.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.24 $10.24

$6.56 €5.83

56.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.47 $15.47

$5.62 €5.00

175.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.28 €1.14

60.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.07 €1.84

67.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.35 €2.09

-24.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.5 $59.5

$44.18 €39.30

34.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.99 $1.99

$3.99 €3.55

-50.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.09 €0.97

60.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.33 $33.33

$16.64 €14.81

100.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$2.28 €2.03

-57.02%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$33.7K €30.0K

10.26%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$39.3K €35.0K

-34.49%

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

$232 $232

$167 €149

38.43%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$18.80 €16.72

225.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.6 $63.6

$33.09 €29.43

92.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.74 $39.74

$46.01 €40.93

-13.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.13 $41.13

$19.19 €17.07

114.33%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 $15.09

$9.84 €8.75

53.35%

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

$1,756 $1,756

$677 €602

159.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.6K $24.6K

$16.9K €15.1K

45.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 $57.8

$101 €90.1

-42.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.68 $44.68

$45.76 €40.70

-2.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 $110

$100.0 €88.9

9.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$123 €109

17.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 $1,732

$1,614 €1,436

7.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 $1,376

$1,197 €1,065

14.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,681 $2,681

$2,862 €2,545

-6.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,985 $1,985

$1,990 €1,770

-0.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,787 $2,787

$7,577 €6,740

-63.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,865 $1,865

$4,307 €3,831

-56.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,595 $4,595

$1,588 €1,412

189.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

3.85

70.65%

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

Last update for Indianapolis, IN: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Indianapolis, IN

$1.4K 49.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 13% $179

Groceries & Markets

Indianapolis, IN

$407 14.6%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 33.8% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Indianapolis, IN

$357 12.8%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 38.5% $137

Eating Out

Indianapolis, IN

$337 12.1%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 28.2% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Indianapolis, IN

$161 5.8%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 3.5% $5.6

Getting Around

Indianapolis, IN

$77 2.8%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 18.5% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Indianapolis, IN

$70 2.5%

Lisbon

$66 3% 6% $4.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,732 in Indianapolis, IN and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Indianapolis, IN pays 189% 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: $81.0 in Indianapolis, IN vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Indianapolis, IN

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

20:01 8:01 PM

01:01 1:01 AM

5 h ahead of Indianapolis, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

882,039

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

Indianapolis, IN Lisbon 6,410 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Indianapolis, IN
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

Indianapolis, IN vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Indianapolis, IN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 189% higher in Indianapolis, IN, 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: $1,732 in Indianapolis, IN versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $81.0 in Indianapolis, IN. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,785 per month in Indianapolis, IN versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,785 in Indianapolis, IN, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Indianapolis, IN. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,223 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Indianapolis, IN 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 25% less than in Indianapolis, IN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.