Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Elgin Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Elgin

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,734 in Elgin.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,780 in Elgin.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,826 in Elgin.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 32% more expensive than in Elgin, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Elgin 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$18.51 £13.78

-12.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$82.1 £61.1

-22.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$6.82 £5.08

51.32%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$4.01 £2.99

-29.43%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.40 £1.04

63.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.39 £1.03

13.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$4.69 £3.49

-27.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$5.50 £4.09

-26.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.77 £1.31

-38.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.71 £1.27

2.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.68 £2.00

-34.33%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.86 £2.88

-17.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$10.05 £7.48

31.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$9.53 £7.10

-16.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$13.67 £10.18

13.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.33 £2.48

-28.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.06 £0.79

61.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.06 £1.53

-2.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.71 £2.76

-34.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.70 £0.52

151.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.16 £0.87

75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.66 £0.49

190.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.04 £0.77

-18.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$21.31 £15.86

-69.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$10.92 £8.13

-48.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$3.03 £2.25

-56.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$3.33 £2.48

-10.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$4.49 £3.34

-49.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$124 £92.5

-63.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$5.33 £3.97

-20.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.35 £1.75

-65.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$27.51 £20.48

-32.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.96 £1.46

6.12%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$39.1K £29.1K

-11.44%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$38.0K £28.3K

3.12%

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

$148 €130

$209 £155

-29.08%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$17.84 £13.28

14.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$40.91 £30.46

-3.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$30.76 £22.90

56.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$12.25 £9.12

51.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$10.73 £7.99

-14.07%

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

$616 €540

$1,139 £848

-45.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$18.2K £13.6K

-9.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$36.72 £27.34

179.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$26.90 £20.03

55.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$96.7 £72.0

-1.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$106 £78.6

15.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$945 £704

72.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$612 £455

101.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$1,803 £1,342

71.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,243 £926

63.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$5,262 £3,918

48.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,238 £1,666

96.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$2,030 £1,511

-20.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.32

-28.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Elgin: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $945 in Elgin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elgin pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $82.0 in Elgin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $293 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Elgin differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,734 including rent). Elgin is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Elgin. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $945 in Elgin. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Elgin runs roughly 171% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $1,139 in Elgin. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,734 in Elgin versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Elgin but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Elgin 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 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 Elgin gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.