Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ames, IA

For one person, living costs are similar in Lisbon and in Ames, IA: $2,206 and $2,152 a month, rent and utilities included.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
104

Cost of Living Index in Ames, IA
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Ames, IA Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Ames, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,152

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Ames, IA

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Ames, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $2,152 in Ames, IA.

Lisbon $2,206
Ames, IA $2,152

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $3,214 in Ames, IA.

Lisbon $3,276
Ames, IA $3,214

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,277 in Ames, IA.

Lisbon $4,346
Ames, IA $4,277

Monthly costs are close between Lisbon and Ames, IA; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Ames, IA 59% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €14.98

$17.69 $17.69

-4.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.2

$52.7 $52.7

15.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.75

$11.91 $11.91

-7.81%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.71

$4.86 $4.86

-37.24%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$2.62 $2.62

-12.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.49

$2.30 $2.30

-26.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.05

$4.05 $4.05

-15.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.47

$7.13 $7.13

-45.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.90 $0.90

27.78%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$3.61 $3.61

-47.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.33

$3.26 $3.26

-53.99%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.66

$3.46 $3.46

19.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.55

$10.37 $10.37

25.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.15

$13.64 $13.64

-41.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.89

$18.55 $18.55

-3.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$5.82 $5.82

-61.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.86 $1.86

-6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$6.48 $6.48

-71.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$5.15 $5.15

-47.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$4.29 $4.29

-58.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.72

$4.07 $4.07

-52.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$2.33 $2.33

-37.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$2.54 $2.54

-70.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.91

$9.72 $9.72

-31.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

$15.93 $15.93

-64.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$2.90 $2.90

-55.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.90

$5.09 $5.09

-57.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.04

$0.97 $0.97

137.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.10

$34.51 $34.51

27.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.54

$5.02 $5.02

-20.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.73 $1.73

-63.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.81

$23.68 $23.68

-20.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.02

$0.90 $0.90

153.33%

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

$33.4K €29.6K

$25.5K $25.5K

30.75%

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

$38.5K €34.2K

$26.4K $26.4K

45.62%

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

$158 €141

$183 $183

-13.45%

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

$17.54 €15.58

$56.2 $56.2

-68.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.70

$69.4 $69.4

-55.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.66

$67.9 $67.9

-34.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.86

$19.84 $19.84

-4.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.51

$14.93 $14.93

-35.83%

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

$674 €598

$1,337 $1,337

-49.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.6K

$10.2K $10.2K

82.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.8

$55.8 $55.8

83.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.77

$44.45 $44.45

3.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.8

$88.8 $88.8

15.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$108 $108

12.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,457

$1,065 $1,065

54.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,055

$834 $834

42.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,509

$1,787 $1,787

58.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,793

$1,445 $1,445

39.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,960

$2,605 $2,605

200.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,176

$2,115 $2,115

122.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,499

$3,549 $3,549

-52.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

6.41

-40.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Ames, IA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Ames, IA

$834 38.8% 29.8% $353

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Ames, IA

$436 20.3% 58.9% $162

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Ames, IA

$290 13.5% 18.2% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Ames, IA

$308 14.3% 49% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Ames, IA

$134 6.2% 20.2% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Ames, IA

$98 4.5% 53.3% $34

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Ames, IA

$52 2.4% 13.8% $8.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $1,065 in Ames, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ames, IA pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $53 in Ames, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $436, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Ames, IA

🕒 Local time

14:39 2:39 PM

08:39 8:39 AM

6 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

66,427

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Ames, IA 6,860 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Ames, IA

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

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

On paper, salaries run 52% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $1,065 in Ames, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ames, IA runs roughly 22% less than in Lisbon. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 37% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Ames, IA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.