Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Burlington, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Burlington, IA: $1,818 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Burlington, IA
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Burlington, IA Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Burlington, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $1,818 in Burlington, IA.

Lisbon $2,206
Burlington, IA $1,818

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $2,753 in Burlington, IA.

Lisbon $3,276
Burlington, IA $2,753

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $3,688 in Burlington, IA.

Lisbon $4,346
Burlington, IA $3,688

Living in Lisbon is roughly 21% more expensive than in Burlington, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Burlington, IA 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.04

$11.52 $11.52

46.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.5

$59.5 $59.5

2.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.80

$9.13 $9.13

20.26%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.72

$4.77 $4.77

-36.06%

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

$2.28 €2.04

$1.98 $1.98

15.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$1.95 $1.95

-13.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.07

$3.51 $3.51

-1.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.48

$4.54 $4.54

-13.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$0.86 $0.86

33.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.87 $2.87

-34.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$4.47 $4.47

-66.44%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.67

$3.03 $3.03

35.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.60

$11.60 $11.60

12.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.18

$11.93 $11.93

-32.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.96

$14.30 $14.30

25.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.03

$4.19 $4.19

-45.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.91 $1.91

-8.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$4.70 $4.70

-61.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.40

$4.65 $4.65

-42.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.58

$2.77 $2.77

-36.10%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$2.65 $2.65

-26.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.46 $1.46

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$2.12 $2.12

-64.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.94

$8.08 $8.08

-17.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.03

$15.91 $15.91

-64.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$2.00 $2.00

-35.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.36 $2.36

-9.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.05

$1.98 $1.98

16.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.26

$61.0 $61.0

-27.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.55

$4.85 $4.85

-17.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$1.05 $1.05

-39.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.88

$22.11 $22.11

-14.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$0.88 $0.88

159.09%

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

$33.4K €29.8K

$23.0K $23.0K

45.06%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$25.1K $25.1K

53.27%

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

$158 €141

$184 $184

-13.87%

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

$17.54 €15.64

$46.38 $46.38

-62.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.82

$58.7 $58.7

-46.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.82

$39.81 $39.81

12.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.93

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.54

$11.83 $11.83

-19.02%

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

$674 €601

$1,186 $1,186

-43.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.7K

$15.4K $15.4K

21.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.2

$44.45 $44.45

129.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.94

$30.47 $30.47

50.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.2

$88.5 $88.5

15.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$37.77 $37.77

222.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,463

$735 $735

123.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,059

$707 $707

67.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,519

$1,208 $1,208

133.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,800

$1,285 $1,285

57.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,989

$1,057 $1,057

641.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,193

$1,034 $1,034

354.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,505

$4,380 $4,380

-61.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

6.54

-41.59%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Burlington, IA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Burlington, IA

$707 38.9% 40.5% $481

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Burlington, IA

$371 20.4% 35% $96

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Burlington, IA

$219 12.1% 10.6% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Burlington, IA

$289 15.9% 39.5% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Burlington, IA

$91 5% 45.9% $77

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Burlington, IA

$63 3.5% 0.5% $0.3

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Burlington, IA

$79 4.4% 30.9% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $735 in Burlington, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, IA pays about 2.6 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $60 in Burlington, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $371, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Burlington, IA

🕒 Local time

00:32 12:32 AM

18:32 6:32 PM

6 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

44,743

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Burlington, IA 6,740 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Burlington, IA

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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 Burlington, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Burlington, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Burlington, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 61% 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 $735 in Burlington, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 26% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,206 per month in Lisbon versus $1,818 in Burlington, IA – Burlington, IA is about 18% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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, Lisbon and Burlington, IA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.