Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Normal, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,272 in Normal, IL, rent and utilities included – about $740 less a year. The total is higher in Normal, IL despite lower rent and utilities.

Lisbon, Portugal
Normal, IL, United States
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Normal, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,272
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Normal, IL

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 Normal, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,272 in Normal, IL.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Normal, IL $2,272

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,329 in Normal, IL.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Normal, IL $3,329

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,386 in Normal, IL.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Normal, IL $4,386

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 3% less than in Normal, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Normal, IL 67% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Normal, IL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.87
$11.32 $11.32
47.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.2
$49.63 $49.63
24.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.14
$9.83 $9.83
15.56%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.65
$5.02 $5.02
-40.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.04
$3.42 $3.42
-33.04%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.51 $1.51
15.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.04
$5.08 $5.08
-33.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.96
$5.83 $5.83
-43.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Normal, IL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.03
$0.74 $0.74
56.76%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$2.62 $2.62
-27.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$3.29 $3.29
-54.10%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.59
$3.76 $3.76
6.91%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.56
$8.90 $8.90
45.39%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.94
$12.75 $12.75
-39.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.86
$18.79 $18.79
-5.48%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$6.64 $6.64
-65.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.23 $1.23
40.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$6.66 $6.66
-72.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.31
$5.03 $5.03
-48.51%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$3.25 $3.25
-44.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$3.21 $3.21
-38.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.31
$1.99 $1.99
-26.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$2.30 $2.30
-68.70%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.88
$11.32 $11.32
-41.87%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.01
$10.99 $10.99
-48.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.91 $1.91
-28.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$3.03 $3.03
-29.37%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Normal, IL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.08
$2.53 $2.53
-7.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €39.91
$91.1 $91.1
-50.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.44
$5.57 $5.57
-30.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.03 $1.03
3.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.70
$18.02 $18.02
-8.66%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$0.89 $0.89
147.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.5K
$27.9K $27.9K
22.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.6K
$26.4K $26.4K
46.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Normal, IL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$273 $273
-40.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.44
$97.9 $97.9
-81.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.24
$64.6 $64.6
-49.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Normal, IL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.79
$39.33 $39.33
13.27%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.06
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.57
$11.76 $11.76
-18.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Normal, IL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €596
$1,061 $1,061
-37.08%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Normal, IL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.1
$29.92 $29.92
240.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.72
$40.57 $40.57
9.59%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.0
$66.5 $66.5
48.07%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €110
$150 $150
-17.59%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Normal, IL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,437
$974 $974
65.09%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,063
$905 $905
31.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,512
$1,800 $1,800
56.21%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,798
$1,587 $1,587
26.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,002
$9,690 $9,690
-19.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,087
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Normal, IL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,407
$4,164 $4,164
-62.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.55
-41.22%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Normal, IL: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Normal, IL
$905 24% $285
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Normal, IL
$390 43.3% $118
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Normal, IL
$237 2.3% $5.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Normal, IL
$436 105% $223
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Normal, IL
$129 22.1% $37
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Normal, IL
$63 1.4% $0.9
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Normal, IL
$112 77.2% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $974 in Normal, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Normal, IL pays about 2.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $50 in Normal, IL. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $390, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇺🇸 Normal, IL
🕒 Local time
01:07 1:07 AM
19:07 7:07 PM
6 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
52,497
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.893 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Normal, IL 6,590 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Normal, IL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Normal, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Normal, IL?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,272 in Normal, IL, so Lisbon is about 3% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 62% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Normal, IL?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $974 in Normal, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Normal, IL?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $1,061 in Normal, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 43% higher in Normal, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Lisbon compared to Normal, IL?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Normal, IL?
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.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Normal, IL?
It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Normal, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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