Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Elgin, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Elgin, IL: $1,057 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Elgin, IL
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Elgin, IL Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Elgin, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,057

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,057 in Elgin, IL.

Lisbon $2,210
Elgin, IL $1,057

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,633 in Elgin, IL.

Lisbon $3,275
Elgin, IL $2,633

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,209 in Elgin, IL.

Lisbon $4,341
Elgin, IL $4,209

Living in Lisbon is roughly 109% more expensive than in Elgin, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Elgin, IL is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.88

$20.39 $20.39

-18.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.2

$59.1 $59.1

4.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.15

$9.94 $9.94

14.29%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.65

$4.08 $4.08

-27.21%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$3.06 $3.06

-25.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.04 $2.04

-14.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.04

$5.98 $5.98

-43.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.96

$4.88 $4.88

-32.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$0.87 $0.87

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$3.52 $3.52

-45.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$4.15 $4.15

-63.61%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.59

$3.64 $3.64

10.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.57

$11.13 $11.13

16.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.95

$13.06 $13.06

-40.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.88

$11.98 $11.98

48.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$4.47 $4.47

-48.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.33 $1.33

30.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.53 $2.53

-26.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.31

$4.04 $4.04

-35.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.00 $2.00

-9.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.01 $2.01

-1.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.78 $1.78

-17.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.40 $2.40

-70.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.89

$10.58 $10.58

-37.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.01

$15.75 $15.75

-64.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.71 $2.71

-49.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$3.54 $3.54

-39.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €39.94

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.44

$4.05 $4.05

-4.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$2.04 $2.04

-47.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.72

$27.57 $27.57

-40.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.04 $1.04

111.54%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$31.2K $31.2K

9.68%

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

$38.7K €34.6K

$25.8K $25.8K

50.16%

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

$161 €144

$98.8 $98.8

63.19%

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

$18.41 €16.46

$53.3 $53.3

-65.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.27

$49.92 $49.92

-34.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.83

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.58

$15.10 $15.10

-36.42%

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

$668 €597

$1,656 $1,656

-59.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$23.4K $23.4K

-24.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.2

$40.64 $40.64

151.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.75

$50.3 $50.3

-11.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.1

$99.6 $99.6

-1.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$120 $120

2.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,438

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,064

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,514

$2,162 $2,162

30.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,800

$1,820 $1,820

10.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,008

$2,201 $2,201

256.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,091

$2,268 $2,268

101.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,408

$3,966 $3,966

-60.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

6.69

-42.45%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Elgin, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Elgin, IL

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Elgin, IL

$368 34.9% 35.3% $96

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Elgin, IL

$302 28.6% 24.4% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Elgin, IL

$202 19.1% 4.9% $10

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Elgin, IL

$140 13.2% 15.7% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Elgin, IL

$30 * 2.9% 52.6% $34

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Elgin, IL

$14 * 1.4% 77.4% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

Elgin, IL pays about 2.5 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $59 in Elgin, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $368, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Elgin, IL

🕒 Local time

08:06 8:06 AM

03:06 3:06 AM

5 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

112,603

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Elgin, IL 6,460 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Elgin, 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 Elgin, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elgin, IL is about 52% cheaper overall, especially in transport, leisure, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 60% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $1,656 in Elgin, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Elgin, IL – a meal for two runs $59 versus $62 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,057 in Elgin, IL versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elgin, IL but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Elgin, IL 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 Elgin, IL are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.