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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,458 in Ilion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $2,206 in Ilion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $2,953 in Ilion.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 52% more expensive than in Ilion, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Ilion 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.81

$14.01 €12.32

12.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.3

$56.3 €49.49

11.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.26

$8.76 €7.70

20.21%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.54

$4.10 €3.61

-29.76%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$1.65 €1.45

36.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$0.60 €0.53

160.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.98

$5.66 €4.98

-40.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.43

$5.77 €5.07

-32.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.92 €1.69

-43.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$1.32 €1.16

31.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$2.81 €2.47

-37.37%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.78

$5.14 €4.52

-38.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.68

$14.10 €12.40

-5.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.92

$10.91 €9.59

-27.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.92

$14.86 €13.06

6.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$2.24 €1.97

7.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.50

$2.08 €1.83

-18.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.50 €1.32

35.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$2.58 €2.27

-2.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.42 €1.25

30.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.15 €1.01

79.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$0.89 €0.78

124.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.69

$1.14 €1.00

-31.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.84

$5.75 €5.06

15.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.08

$8.17 €7.18

-29.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.22

$2.09 €1.84

-33.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$2.84 €2.49

6.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.05

$1.58 €1.39

47.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.96

$45.58 €40.07

-0.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$3.99 €3.51

2.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.39

$11.34 €9.97

64.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$2.15 €1.89

-6.98%

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

$35.4K €31.1K

$28.7K €25.2K

23.22%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$25.7K €22.6K

51.88%

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

$150 €132

$212 €187

-29.28%

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

$20.55 €18.07

$27.34 €24.03

-24.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.68

$33.19 €29.18

18.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.25

$47.44 €41.70

1.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.44

$26.33 €23.15

-28.98%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.18

$9.78 €8.60

-4.91%

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

$628 €552

$510 €448

23.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.5K

$6,439 €5,660

155.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.3

$93.8 €82.5

8.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.52

$32.25 €28.35

28.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.3

$100 €88.3

-7.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$118 €103

4.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,431

$492 €432

230.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,084

$389 €342

216.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,748

$765 €672

308.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,809

$614 €540

235.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,824

$3,678 €3,233

111.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,856

$3,039 €2,672

44.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,425

$1,261 €1,108

28.59%

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Ilion: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $492 in Ilion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 29% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $56.0 in Ilion. Groceries flip the comparison at $269 vs $305, 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 52% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,458 including rent). Ilion is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 29% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $492 in Ilion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 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 $1,458 in Ilion versus $2,210 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 52% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.