Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Burlington, IA Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Burlington, IA

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,754 in Burlington, IA.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,671 in Burlington, IA.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $3,589 in Burlington, IA.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 27% more expensive than Burlington, IA, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Burlington, IA 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$11.56 $11.56

39.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$60.6 $60.6

6.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$8.96 $8.96

15.85%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$5.50 $5.50

-49.64%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$2.01 $2.01

11.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$1.94 $1.94

-19.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$3.44 $3.44

1.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$4.40 $4.40

-9.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.82 $0.82

31.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.59 $2.59

-32.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$7.83 $7.83

-77.78%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.92 $2.92

8.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$14.60 $14.60

-8.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$13.22 $13.22

-39.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$15.10 $15.10

6.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$4.94 $4.94

-53.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.97 $1.97

-12.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$4.68 $4.68

-58.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$5.09 $5.09

-50.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$2.97 $2.97

-38.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$2.46 $2.46

-17.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.81 $1.81

9.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$2.38 $2.38

-64.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$9.10 $9.10

-24.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$12.14 $12.14

-52.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.70 $1.70

-19.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$3.98 $3.98

-27.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.58 $1.58

44.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$20.78 $20.78

125.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$3.59 $3.59

13.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.58 $1.58

-48.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$28.74 $28.74

-36.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$0.88 $0.88

128.41%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$22.9K $22.9K

53.93%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$23.6K $23.6K

62.98%

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

$145 €124

$174 $174

-16.61%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$51.3 $51.3

-59.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$51.3 $51.3

-21.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$50.0 $50.0

-2.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$11.17 $11.17

-18.89%

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

$607 €519

$708 $708

-14.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$23.8K $23.8K

-31.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$44.26 $44.26

136.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$31.22 $31.22

31.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$65.7 $65.7

42.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$37.46 $37.46

216.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$631 $631

154.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$679 $679

81.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,048 $1,048

190.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$1,181 $1,181

74.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,056 $1,056

630.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,059 $1,059

302.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$4,402 $4,402

-64.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.52

-41.56%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Burlington, IA: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $631 in Burlington, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burlington, IA pays 178% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $61.0 in Burlington, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $403, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 27% 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, Burlington, IA earns 178% less. 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $631 in Burlington, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $708 in Burlington, IA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 49% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,754 in Burlington, IA versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Burlington, IA but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Burlington, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Burlington, IA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,754 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Burlington, IA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Burlington, IA 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 Burlington, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.