Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Madison, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,972 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
144

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Madison, WI

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 Madison, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,972 in Madison, WI.

Lisbon $2,210
Madison, WI $2,972

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $4,286 in Madison, WI.

Lisbon $3,275
Madison, WI $4,286

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $5,600 in Madison, WI.

Lisbon $4,341
Madison, WI $5,600

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 26% less than in Madison, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Madison, WI 118% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$19.66 $19.66

-15.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$68.0 $68.0

-9.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$12.89 $12.89

-11.87%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$5.77 $5.77

-48.53%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$3.10 $3.10

-26.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.52 $2.52

-30.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$7.14 $7.14

-52.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$7.85 $7.85

-57.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$0.98 $0.98

18.37%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$3.52 $3.52

-45.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$4.27 $4.27

-64.64%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.71 $3.71

8.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$15.06 $15.06

-14.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$13.03 $13.03

-40.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$20.45 $20.45

-13.15%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$4.77 $4.77

-51.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$1.59 $1.59

8.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$5.14 $5.14

-63.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$4.96 $4.96

-47.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.89 $2.89

-37.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$3.12 $3.12

-36.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.07 $2.07

-28.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.46 $2.46

-70.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$10.96 $10.96

-39.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$15.40 $15.40

-63.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.77 $2.77

-50.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$4.43 $4.43

-51.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$1.94 $1.94

20.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$66.2 $66.2

-32.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$4.10 $4.10

-6.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.97 $1.97

-45.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$43.65 $43.65

-62.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.05 $1.05

109.52%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$30.1K $30.1K

13.49%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$25.3K $25.3K

53.16%

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

$161 €144

$269 $269

-40.12%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$52.8 $52.8

-65.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$81.5 $81.5

-59.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$54.2 $54.2

-17.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$10.52 $10.52

81.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$14.80 $14.80

-35.14%

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

$668 €598

$1,621 $1,621

-58.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$23.5K $23.5K

-25.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$65.0 $65.0

56.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$50.5 $50.5

-12.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$106 $106

-7.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$123 $123

0.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$1,807 $1,807

-10.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$1,469 $1,469

-18.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$3,184 $3,184

-11.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$2,432 $2,432

-17.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$4,596 $4,596

70.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$2,418 $2,418

89.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$4,521 $4,521

-65.16%

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 Madison, WI: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Madison, WI

$1.5K 49.4% 23.4% $279

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Madison, WI

$433 14.6% 59.2% $161

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Madison, WI

$339 11.4% 39.7% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Madison, WI

$404 13.6% 90.1% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Madison, WI

$155 5.2% 6.5% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Madison, WI

$84 2.8% 31.5% $20

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Madison, WI

$88 3% 39.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,807 in Madison, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Madison, WI pays about 2.9 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $68 in Madison, WI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $433 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🕒 Local time

10:01 10:01 AM

04:01 4:01 AM

6 h behind Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

248,951

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Madison, WI 6,500 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Madison, WI

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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 Madison, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,972 in Madison, WI, so Lisbon is about 26% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 65% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,807 in Madison, WI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $1,621 in Madison, WI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 59% higher in Madison, WI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 Madison, WI are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Madison, WI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.