Cost of Living Comparison Between Iowa City, IA and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Iowa City, IA and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,344 in Iowa City, IA versus $2,258 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,313 in Iowa City, IA versus $3,328 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,282 in Iowa City, IA versus $4,397 in Lisbon.

Living in Iowa City, IA is roughly 4% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Iowa City, IA 74% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.72 $14.72

$15.82 €13.46

-6.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 $75.6

$64.4 €54.8

17.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.85 $8.85

$10.37 €8.82

-14.66%

Cappuccino

$5.06 $5.06

$2.89 €2.46

75.09%

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

$2.39 $2.39

$2.23 €1.90

7.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.55 €1.32

15.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.07 $5.07

$3.38 €2.88

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$3.90 €3.32

82.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.12 €0.96

-22.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.80 €1.53

47.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$1.75 €1.49

174.29%

Eggs

$4.01 $4.01

$3.17 €2.70

26.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.07 $9.07

$13.50 €11.49

-32.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.55 $10.55

$7.79 €6.63

35.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.60 $16.60

$15.65 €13.32

6.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.28 €1.94

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.71 €1.46

-32.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.93 €1.65

40.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$2.52 €2.15

88.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.79 €1.52

13.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.05 €1.74

41.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.94 €1.65

2.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$0.81 €0.69

145.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.17 $9.17

$6.65 €5.66

37.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.47 $15.47

$5.79 €4.92

167.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.33 €1.14

27.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.85 $4.85

$2.91 €2.47

66.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.35 €2.00

-12.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$16.17 $16.17

$45.70 €38.89

-64.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.41 $4.41

$4.20 €3.58

5.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.11 $2.11

$0.81 €0.69

160.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.23 $42.23

$18.70 €15.91

125.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$2.09 €1.78

-58.85%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$34.6K €29.5K

-26.95%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$39.7K €33.7K

-36.78%

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

$214 $214

$146 €124

46.72%

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

$50.4 $50.4

$20.84 €17.73

141.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.8 $75.8

$39.78 €33.85

90.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.1 $50.1

$48.58 €41.35

3.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.21 $20.21

$18.85 €16.04

7.21%

Cinema Ticket

$12.22 $12.22

$9.07 €7.72

34.73%

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

$1,243 $1,243

$618 €526

101.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.1K $25.1K

$16.2K €13.8K

55.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 $66.9

$105 €89.0

-35.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.76 $47.76

$40.54 €34.50

17.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.3 $99.3

$93.8 €79.8

5.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$123 €104

-4.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,210 $1,210

$1,604 €1,365

-24.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,093 $1,093

$1,260 €1,073

-13.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,426 $2,426

$3,065 €2,608

-20.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,538 $1,538

$2,008 €1,709

-23.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,818 $3,818

$7,702 €6,555

-50.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,907 $1,907

$4,367 €3,716

-56.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,581 $3,581

$1,638 €1,394

118.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

3.81

68.77%

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

Last update for Iowa City, IA: April 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,210 in Iowa City, IA and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Iowa City, IA pays 119% 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: $76 in Iowa City, IA vs $64 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $268 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

Iowa City, IA vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Monthly Utilities & Internet, Sport & Entertainment. The 4% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Iowa City, IA pays 119% 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: $1,210 in Iowa City, IA versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 183% less than in Iowa City, IA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,243 in Iowa City, IA versus $618 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,258 in Lisbon versus $2,344 in Iowa City, IA, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Iowa City, IA. 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 Iowa City, IA, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Iowa City, IA 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 4% less than in Iowa City, IA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.