Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dubuque, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Dubuque, IA: $1,731 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
84

Cost of Living Index in Dubuque, IA
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Dubuque, IA Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Dubuque, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,731

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,202 per month in Lisbon vs $1,731 in Dubuque, IA, rent included.

Lisbon $2,202
Dubuque, IA $1,731

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Lisbon vs $2,538 in Dubuque, IA, rent included.

Lisbon $3,274
Dubuque, IA $2,538

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $3,345 in Dubuque, IA, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Dubuque, IA $3,345

Lisbon costs about 27% more than Dubuque, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lisbon and Dubuque, IA sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Dubuque, IA by 28%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$13.85 $13.85

23.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$49.71 $49.71

25.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$11.80 $11.80

-6.61%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$4.99 $4.99

-37.47%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$2.02 $2.02

12.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.95 $0.95

83.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$3.01 $3.01

13.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$4.53 $4.53

-17.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$0.78 $0.78

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.71 $2.71

-31.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.82 $2.82

-45.39%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$2.85 $2.85

42.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$14.05 $14.05

-8.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$10.38 $10.38

-23.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$10.63 $10.63

65.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.32 $3.32

-31.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.21 $1.21

44.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$3.26 $3.26

-42.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$2.45 $2.45

4.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.36 $1.36

36.03%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.67 $1.67

17.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.42 $2.42

-40.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$1.79 $1.79

-56.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$8.70 $8.70

-22.87%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$13.36 $13.36

-57.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.69 $1.69

-18.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.82 $2.82

-25.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$0.91 $0.91

140.66%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$24.5K $24.5K

37.71%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$25.0K $25.0K

52.87%

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

$164 €146

$176 $176

-7.06%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$52.0 $52.0

-64.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$50.7 $50.7

-35.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$36.87 $36.87

24.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$8.17 $8.17

19.34%

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

$684 €608

$812 $812

-15.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$55.6 $55.6

86.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$35.65 $35.65

29.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$86.1 $86.1

15.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$88.7 $88.7

40.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$985 $985

61.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$725 $725

61.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$1,476 $1,476

93.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$1,201 $1,201

66.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$1,732 $1,732

350.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$1,707 $1,707

158.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$3,768 $3,768

-57.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

5.25

-26.67%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Dubuque, IA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Dubuque, IA

$725 41.9% 38% $444

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Dubuque, IA

$312 18% 14.3% $39

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Dubuque, IA

$242 14% 2.2% $5.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Dubuque, IA

$279 16.1% 29.6% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Dubuque, IA

$120 6.9% 28.9% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Dubuque, IA

$53 3.1% 18.6% $12

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Dubuque, IA

- * 0% 100%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in Lisbon versus $985 in Dubuque, IA. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 136% higher in Dubuque, IA, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lisbon versus $50.0 in Dubuque, IA. Groceries tell a different story – $273 in Lisbon vs $312 in Dubuque, IA – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Dubuque, IA

🕒 Local time

04:16 4:16 AM

22:16 10:16 PM

6 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

59,667

💱 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 Dubuque, IA 6,620 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Dubuque, 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 Dubuque, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 27% more than Dubuque, IA, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from transport. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,302 per month in Lisbon and $2,596 in Dubuque, IA. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Dubuque, IA, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,202 in Lisbon and $1,731 in Dubuque, IA. That's a gap of about 27%.

Kindergarten costs $684 per month in Lisbon and $812 in Dubuque, IA. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Dubuque, IA, where all-in costs run around $1,731, than in Lisbon at $2,202. In Dubuque, IA it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Dubuque, IA costs $1,731 versus $2,202 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

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