Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ilion Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ilion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,636 in Ilion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,575 in Ilion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,515 in Ilion.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 39% more expensive than in Ilion, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Ilion 19% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$14.03 €12.10

25.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$62.7 €54.1

2.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$9.14 €7.88

27.46%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$4.24 €3.66

-23.11%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$2.31 €1.99

7.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.61 €0.52

173.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$5.85 €5.05

-40.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$5.65 €4.87

-36.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.65 €1.42

-28.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.48 €1.27

31.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.89 €2.49

-46.02%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$5.10 €4.39

-21.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$12.88 €11.10

3.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$11.26 €9.71

-25.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$19.16 €16.52

-4.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.26 €1.95

2.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.98 €1.71

-12.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.43 €1.24

34.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.21 €1.90

19.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.16 €1.00

63.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.21 €1.04

74.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.88 €0.76

63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.90 €0.78

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$5.45 €4.69

28.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$8.24 €7.10

-28.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.78 €1.53

-23.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$3.48 €3.00

-38.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.43 €1.23

66.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$48.62 €41.91

-4.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$4.68 €4.03

-10.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.03 €0.89

6.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$14.23 €12.27

21.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.28 €1.96

-1.32%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$29.0K €25.0K

18.82%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$25.4K €21.9K

63.83%

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

$171 €147

$224 €193

-23.84%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$27.52 €23.72

-30.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$28.92 €24.93

18.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$51.8 €44.66

-4.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$25.80 €22.24

-24.38%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$9.09 €7.83

11.11%

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

$699 €603

$491 €424

42.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,781 €4,121

271.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$70.7 €60.9

48.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$36.86 €31.78

30.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$104 €89.5

-1.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$111 €95.6

15.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$621 €535

167.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$519 €447

136.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,208 €1,041

141.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$1,034 €892

95.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$3,702 €3,192

119.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$3,042 €2,622

52.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$1,327 €1,144

22.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.4

-14.09%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Ilion: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $621 in Ilion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 22% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $63.0 in Ilion. Groceries flip the comparison at $281 vs $308, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Ilion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ilion differ by about 39% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,636 including rent). Ilion is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 22% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $621 in Ilion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $491 in Ilion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,636 in Ilion versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ilion but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ilion 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 Ilion 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 Ilion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 39% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.