Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Urbandale, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $2,285 in Urbandale, IA, rent and utilities included – about $950 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Urbandale, IA, United States
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Urbandale, IA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,285
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Urbandale, IA

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 Urbandale, IA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $2,285 in Urbandale, IA.

  • Lisbon $2,206
  • Urbandale, IA $2,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $3,346 in Urbandale, IA.

  • Lisbon $3,276
  • Urbandale, IA $3,346

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,407 in Urbandale, IA.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Urbandale, IA $4,407

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Urbandale, IA 69% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Urbandale, IA
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €15.09
$14.85 $14.85
13.54%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0 €54.6
$50.1 $50.1
21.79%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 €9.83
$9.90 $9.90
10.91%
Cappuccino
$3.05 €2.73
$5.09 $5.09
-40.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.04
$1.24 $1.24
83.87%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.51
$1.00 $1.00
68.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 €3.07
$5.18 $5.18
-33.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 €3.49
$7.78 $7.78
-49.74%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Urbandale, IA
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.03
$1.01 $1.01
13.86%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 €1.69
$3.34 $3.34
-43.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$3.91 $3.91
-61.64%
Eggs
$4.12 €3.68
$2.15 $2.15
91.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.01 €11.64
$14.26 $14.26
-8.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 €7.20
$9.95 $9.95
-19.20%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.89 €16.01
$13.42 $13.42
33.31%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.03
$3.22 $3.22
-29.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.56
$1.60 $1.60
8.75%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$3.57 $3.57
-49.02%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.40
$3.17 $3.17
-15.14%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 €1.58
$3.21 $3.21
-44.86%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 €1.73
$3.46 $3.46
-43.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.31
$2.07 $2.07
-29.47%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.68
$2.07 $2.07
-63.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.96
$8.19 $8.19
-18.68%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.05
$12.31 $12.31
-54.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.16
$1.75 $1.75
-26.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$1.98 $1.98
8.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Urbandale, IA
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 €2.06
$1.95 $1.95
17.95%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.02 €39.39
$59.2 $59.2
-25.67%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.98 €3.56
$2.47 $2.47
61.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 €0.57
$1.29 $1.29
-50.39%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.93 €16.93
$41.87 $41.87
-54.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.04
$1.00 $1.00
128.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.9K
$34.6K $34.6K
-3.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.5K
$26.2K $26.2K
47.17%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Urbandale, IA
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €142
$139 $139
13.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54 €15.69
$15.15 $15.15
15.78%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18 €27.90
$24.56 $24.56
26.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Urbandale, IA
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.64 €39.95
$43.88 $43.88
1.73%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98 €16.98
$20.21 $20.21
-6.09%
Cinema Ticket
$9.58 €8.57
$15.09 $15.09
-36.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Urbandale, IA
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$674 €603
$1,149 $1,149
-41.35%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K €16.8K
$23.7K $23.7K
-21.10%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Urbandale, IA
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$60.7 $60.7
68.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90 €41.07
$21.57 $21.57
112.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €91.5
$44.29 $44.29
130.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €109
$76.2 $76.2
59.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Urbandale, IA
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,641 €1,468
$928 $928
76.87%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,187 €1,062
$1,262 $1,262
-5.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,825 €2,527
$1,243 $1,243
127.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,018 €1,806
$2,129 $2,129
-5.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,836 €7,011
$2,786 $2,786
181.23%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,701 €4,206
$2,122 $2,122
121.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Urbandale, IA
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,687 €1,509
$3,637 $3,637
-53.62%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
6.71
-43.07%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Urbandale, IA: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Urbandale, IA
$1.3K 6.3% $75
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275
Urbandale, IA
$343 25.1% $69
Eating Out
Lisbon
$245
Urbandale, IA
$260 6% $15
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207
Urbandale, IA
$179 13.6% $28
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Urbandale, IA
$91 45.5% $76
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Urbandale, IA
$74 16.1% $10
Getting Around
Lisbon
$60
Urbandale, IA
$76 25.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $928 in Urbandale, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Urbandale, IA pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $50 in Urbandale, IA. Groceries flip the comparison at $275 vs $343, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇺🇸 Urbandale, IA
🕒 Local time
13:17 1:17 PM
07:17 7:17 AM
6 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
45,580
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 0.895 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Urbandale, IA 6,890 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Urbandale, IA

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 Urbandale, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Urbandale, IA?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $2,285 in Urbandale, IA, 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 54% 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 Urbandale, IA?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $928 in Urbandale, IA. 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 Urbandale, IA?
Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $1,149 in Urbandale, IA. 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 25% higher in Urbandale, IA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Lisbon compared to Urbandale, IA?
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 Urbandale, IA?
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.
Is Lisbon or Urbandale, IA safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Urbandale, IA are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Urbandale, IA?
It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Urbandale, IA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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