Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Des Moines, IA

For one person, living costs are similar in Lisbon and in Des Moines, IA: $2,202 and $2,171 a month, rent and utilities included.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
105

Cost of Living Index in Des Moines, IA
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Des Moines, IA Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Des Moines, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,171

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA.

Lisbon $2,202
Des Moines, IA $2,171

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $3,236 in Des Moines, IA.

Lisbon $3,274
Des Moines, IA $3,236

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,301 in Des Moines, IA.

Lisbon $4,346
Des Moines, IA $4,301

Living in Lisbon is roughly 1% more expensive than in Des Moines, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Des Moines, IA 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$19.69 $19.69

-13.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$80.8 $80.8

-22.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$12.22 $12.22

-9.82%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$6.16 $6.16

-49.35%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$2.93 $2.93

-22.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.56 $2.56

-32.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$4.99 $4.99

-31.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$5.89 $5.89

-36.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$0.91 $0.91

28.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$3.03 $3.03

-38.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$3.38 $3.38

-54.44%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$4.00 $4.00

1.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$9.69 $9.69

33.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$9.91 $9.91

-20.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$13.68 $13.68

28.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$4.33 $4.33

-47.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.51 $1.51

15.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$4.54 $4.54

-58.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$3.68 $3.68

-30.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$3.07 $3.07

-39.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.14 $2.14

-7.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.38 $2.38

-39.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$2.19 $2.19

-64.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$7.85 $7.85

-14.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$14.79 $14.79

-61.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.70 $1.70

-19.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$3.09 $3.09

-31.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.73 $1.73

34.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$58.1 $58.1

-23.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$1.97 $1.97

100.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.23 $1.23

-14.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$19.70 $19.70

-12.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$0.93 $0.93

135.48%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

24.31%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$25.1K $25.1K

52.16%

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

$164 €146

$185 $185

-11.26%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$53.6 $53.6

-65.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$70.2 $70.2

-53.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$63.8 $63.8

-28.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$20.14 $20.14

-7.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$9.99 $9.99

-2.40%

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

$684 €608

$1,187 $1,187

-42.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$12.0K $12.0K

47.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$59.5 $59.5

74.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$42.98 $42.98

7.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$101 $101

-1.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$145 $145

-14.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$1,177 $1,177

35.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$872 $872

34.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$1,738 $1,738

64.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$1,394 $1,394

43.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$2,320 $2,320

235.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$2,325 $2,325

90.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$3,647 $3,647

-56.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.56

-41.31%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Des Moines, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Des Moines, IA

$872 40.2% 25.4% $297

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Des Moines, IA

$349 16.1% 28% $76

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Des Moines, IA

$327 15.1% 32.1% $79

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Des Moines, IA

$308 14.2% 43.3% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Des Moines, IA

$157 7.2% 6.9% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Des Moines, IA

$84 3.9% 28.1% $18

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Des Moines, IA

$73 3.4% 16.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Moines, IA pays 128% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $81.0 in Des Moines, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $349 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Des Moines, IA

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

02:48 2:48 AM

6 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

214,133

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Des Moines, IA 6,910 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Des Moines, 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 Des Moines, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Des Moines, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Des Moines, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 128% lower in Des Moines, IA. 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: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,177 in Des Moines, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Des Moines, IA – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $2,171 in Des Moines, IA – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,171 in Des Moines, IA versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Des Moines, IA but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Des Moines, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Des Moines, IA delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,171 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Des Moines, IA hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Des Moines, 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 Des Moines, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.