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: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $1,504 in Ilion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,273 in Ilion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $3,041 in Ilion.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 49% more expensive than Ilion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 67% above, Ilion 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$14.04 €11.97

12.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$55.6 €47.43

13.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$8.51 €7.26

21.27%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$4.16 €3.55

-32.45%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$1.61 €1.37

44.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.59 €0.50

155.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$5.77 €4.92

-41.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$5.83 €4.97

-32.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.84 €1.57

-41.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$1.33 €1.14

31.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$2.79 €2.38

-37.28%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$4.91 €4.18

-36.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$13.84 €11.80

-4.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$10.95 €9.34

-28.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

$15.12 €12.90

6.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.23 €1.90

7.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$2.16 €1.84

-20.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.51 €1.29

30.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$2.48 €2.12

2.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$1.37 €1.16

30.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.21 €1.03

62.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.91 €0.77

115.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$1.13 €0.97

-25.66%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$5.69 €4.85

19.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$8.46 €7.22

-30.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.02 €1.72

-31.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.94 €2.51

-0.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$1.59 €1.36

44.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$46.73 €39.86

0.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$4.14 €3.53

-0.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$11.79 €10.06

60.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$2.14 €1.83

-2.34%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$28.6K €24.4K

22.79%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$25.1K €21.4K

58.14%

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

$150 €128

$213 €181

-29.70%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$26.90 €22.94

-23.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$32.33 €27.57

21.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$48.30 €41.20

2.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$25.92 €22.11

-28.74%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$9.63 €8.22

-4.47%

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

$624 €533

$510 €435

22.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$6,424 €5,479

147.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$91.0 €77.7

12.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$32.60 €27.81

25.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$100 €85.7

-4.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$114 €97.3

6.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$496 €423

233.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$386 €329

219.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$774 €660

293.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$610 €520

237.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$3,800 €3,241

107.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$3,102 €2,646

38.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$1,346 €1,148

16.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.8

-20.62%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Ilion: April 22, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $496 in Ilion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 16% 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 in Lisbon vs $56 in Ilion. Groceries flip the comparison at $270 vs $303, 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 49% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $1,504 including rent). Ilion is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 16% more on average, 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $496 in Ilion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $510 in Ilion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,504 in Ilion versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 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 49% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.