Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Chicago, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent and utilities included – about $9,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
147

Cost of Living Index in Chicago, IL
Learn more

Chicago, IL Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Chicago, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,037

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Chicago, IL

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 Chicago, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $3,037 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Chicago, IL $3,037

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $4,518 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Chicago, IL $4,518

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $5,999 in Chicago, IL, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Chicago, IL $5,999

Lisbon is about 27% cheaper than Chicago, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Chicago, IL sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Chicago, IL by 123%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$20.71 $20.71

-19.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$89.2 $89.2

-30.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$13.19 $13.19

-13.87%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$5.66 $5.66

-47.53%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$2.64 $2.64

-13.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.28 $2.28

-23.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$6.87 $6.87

-50.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$8.84 $8.84

-62.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.25 $1.25

-7.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$3.72 $3.72

-48.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$5.39 $5.39

-71.99%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$4.74 $4.74

-15.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$13.84 $13.84

-6.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$14.40 $14.40

-46.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$18.38 $18.38

-3.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$5.22 $5.22

-55.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$1.98 $1.98

-12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$4.06 $4.06

-54.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$4.97 $4.97

-47.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$2.67 $2.67

-31.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$2.66 $2.66

-25.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.24 $2.24

-34.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$3.13 $3.13

-77.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

$13.82 $13.82

-52.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$14.88 $14.88

-62.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.54 $2.54

-46.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$3.51 $3.51

-39.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$2.43 $2.43

-4.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

$73.5 $73.5

-39.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$3.18 $3.18

21.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.39 $1.39

-23.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$25.03 $25.03

-34.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.20 $1.20

83.33%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

-2.42%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

45.17%

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

$161 €145

$194 $194

-17.08%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$69.5 $69.5

-73.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$61.6 $61.6

-46.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

$47.90 $47.90

-6.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

$27.34 $27.34

-30.14%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$17.81 $17.81

-46.10%

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

$668 €600

$1,794 $1,794

-62.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$31.9K $31.9K

-44.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

$67.0 $67.0

52.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

$52.1 $52.1

-14.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$102 $102

-2.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$144 $144

-13.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$2,526 $2,526

-36.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$1,578 $1,578

-24.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

$4,738 $4,738

-40.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

$2,693 $2,693

-25.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

$4,190 $4,190

87.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

$2,768 $2,768

65.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$4,931 $4,931

-68.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.81

-43.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Chicago, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Chicago, IL

$1.6K 52% 32.6% $388

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Chicago, IL

$447 14.7% 64.3% $175

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Chicago, IL

$345 11.4% 42.2% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Chicago, IL

$326 10.7% 53.3% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Chicago, IL

$164 5.4% 1.2% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$84 2.8% 31% $20

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Chicago, IL

$93 3.1% 47.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Chicago, IL are about 3.1 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $89 in Chicago, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $447 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Chicago, IL

🕒 Local time

18:48 6:48 PM

13:48 1:48 PM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

2,746,388

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Chicago, IL 6,420 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Chicago, IL

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 Chicago, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $3,037 in Chicago, IL – roughly 37% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $4,555 in Chicago, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,608 there versus $2,526 in Chicago, IL.

Groceries cost about 64% more in Chicago, IL, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $89 in Chicago, IL. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,210, than in Chicago, IL at $3,037. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Chicago, IL it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Chicago, IL has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,210 in Lisbon to $3,037 in Chicago, IL. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Chicago, IL makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.