Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Des Plaines, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,203 a month against $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
146

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
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Des Plaines, IL Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,203

/mo nomad

Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,073

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,203 in Lisbon versus $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL.

Lisbon $2,203
Des Plaines, IL $3,073

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,237 in Lisbon versus $4,412 in Des Plaines, IL.

Lisbon $3,237
Des Plaines, IL $4,412

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $5,750 in Des Plaines, IL.

Lisbon $4,272
Des Plaines, IL $5,750

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 28% less than in Des Plaines, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Des Plaines, IL 129% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.01 €15.18

$20.88 $20.88

-18.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.7 €56.0

$89.5 $89.5

-29.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 €10.19

$12.87 $12.87

-11.27%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.76

$5.65 $5.65

-45.31%

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

$2.37 €2.11

$2.59 $2.59

-8.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.48

$2.32 $2.32

-28.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.46 €3.09

$6.95 $6.95

-50.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 €2.93

$8.02 $8.02

-58.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$0.95 $0.95

23.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.87 €1.66

$3.49 $3.49

-46.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.36

$4.23 $4.23

-64.07%

Eggs

$3.88 €3.46

$4.16 $4.16

-6.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.87 €11.49

$14.67 $14.67

-12.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.94 €7.08

$13.02 $13.02

-39.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.63 €15.73

$18.95 $18.95

-6.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$4.75 $4.75

-52.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 €1.57

$1.63 $1.63

7.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.68

$4.16 $4.16

-54.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.20

$4.82 $4.82

-48.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.66 $2.66

-30.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.85

$2.74 $2.74

-24.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.24

$2.15 $2.15

-35.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.73

$2.41 $2.41

-66.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.89 €6.15

$10.65 $10.65

-35.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.53 €4.93

$14.86 $14.86

-62.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.19

$2.55 $2.55

-47.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 €1.93

$3.53 $3.53

-38.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 €2.00

$2.02 $2.02

10.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.14 €40.29

$60.8 $60.8

-25.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.00 €3.57

$3.17 $3.17

26.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.95

$1.37 $1.37

-21.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.53 €14.75

$24.93 $24.93

-33.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 €2.02

$1.05 $1.05

115.24%

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

$33.5K €29.9K

$35.9K $35.9K

-6.72%

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

$40.5K €36.1K

$24.8K $24.8K

63.06%

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

$164 €146

$195 $195

-16.08%

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

$18.54 €16.55

$60.5 $60.5

-69.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.21 €29.64

$77.2 $77.2

-56.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €41.06

$125 $125

-63.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.80 €16.78

$40.72 $40.72

-53.83%

Cinema Ticket

$9.47 €8.45

$15.16 $15.16

-37.53%

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

$690 €615

$1,545 $1,545

-55.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.0K

$23.5K $23.5K

-28.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €93.4

$65.3 $65.3

60.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.27 €40.40

$51.0 $51.0

-11.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 €88.3

$101 $101

-1.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$123 $123

1.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,583 €1,413

$2,093 $2,093

-24.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,209 €1,079

$1,521 $1,521

-20.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,833 €2,528

$3,861 $3,861

-26.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,964 €1,753

$2,536 $2,536

-22.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,643 €6,821

$3,174 $3,174

140.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,431 €3,954

$2,521 $2,521

75.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,573 €1,403

$6,220 $6,220

-74.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

6.77

-44.02%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 4, 2026

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 54%

Des Plaines, IL

$1.5K 50.6% 25.8% $312

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.1%

Des Plaines, IL

$419 14% 54% $147

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11%

Des Plaines, IL

$344 11.5% 39% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.6%

Des Plaines, IL

$333 11.1% 54.5% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.5%

Des Plaines, IL

$153 5.1% 8.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 2.9%

Des Plaines, IL

$155 5.2% 139% $90

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Des Plaines, IL

$79 2.6% 24.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,583 in Lisbon and $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays 296% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $419 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🕒 Local time

00:54 12:54 AM

18:54 6:54 PM

6 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

60,675

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Des Plaines, IL 6,430 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Des Plaines, IL

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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 Des Plaines, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Des Plaines, IL differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($2,203 vs $3,073 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 296% lower in Des Plaines, IL. 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: $1,583 in Lisbon versus $2,093 in Des Plaines, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 54% higher in Des Plaines, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $89.0 in Des Plaines, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,203 in Lisbon versus $3,073 in Des Plaines, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Des Plaines, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Des Plaines, IL 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Des Plaines, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.