Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Waukesha, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Waukesha, WI: $2,030 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Waukesha, WI
🇺🇸 United States
$2,030
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Waukesha, 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 Waukesha, WI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,030 in Waukesha, WI.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Waukesha, WI $2,030

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $2,967 in Waukesha, WI.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Waukesha, WI $2,967

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $3,905 in Waukesha, WI.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Waukesha, WI $3,905

Living in Lisbon is roughly 8% more expensive than in Waukesha, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Waukesha, WI 50% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Waukesha, WI
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$16.70 $16.70
2.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$76.5 $76.5
-18.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$10.99 $10.99
0.27%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$4.88 $4.88
-36.07%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.78 $2.78
-18.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$1.96 $1.96
-11.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$6.07 $6.07
-43.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$6.81 $6.81
-45.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Waukesha, WI
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$0.80 $0.80
46.25%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$3.39 $3.39
-45.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$4.46 $4.46
-65.47%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$3.59 $3.59
13.09%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$9.04 $9.04
42.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$11.29 $11.29
-30.03%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$16.57 $16.57
6.46%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$5.29 $5.29
-57.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.71 $1.71
2.34%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$3.58 $3.58
-47.21%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$5.15 $5.15
-50.29%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.77 $1.77
4.52%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$2.61 $2.61
-24.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.61 $1.61
-9.94%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$1.86 $1.86
-58.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$8.39 $8.39
-20.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$10.90 $10.90
-47.98%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.74 $1.74
-21.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$3.38 $3.38
-37.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Waukesha, WI
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$2.05 $2.05
13.17%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
$50.0 $50.0
-11.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$2.88 $2.88
37.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$1.64 $1.64
-35.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$21.09 $21.09
-18.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.02 $1.02
114.71%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$24.9K $24.9K
35.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$25.2K $25.2K
51.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Waukesha, WI
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$200 $200
-18.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$51.2 $51.2
-63.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$60.5 $60.5
-45.49%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Waukesha, WI
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$50.3 $50.3
-8.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$14.06 $14.06
-30.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Waukesha, WI
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$1,472 $1,472
-53.53%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$24.2K $24.2K
-27.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Waukesha, WI
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$53.3 $53.3
94.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$40.55 $40.55
13.93%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$89.2 $89.2
11.83%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$76.3 $76.3
63.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Waukesha, WI
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$1,006 $1,006
58.00%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$805 $805
45.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$1,616 $1,616
76.44%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$1,190 $1,190
67.50%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$2,430 $2,430
220.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$2,375 $2,375
86.00%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Waukesha, WI
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
$4,340 $4,340
-63.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
6.53
-41.04%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Waukesha, WI: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Waukesha, WI
$805 31.2% $364
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Waukesha, WI
$361 32.1% $88
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Waukesha, WI
$288 16.3% $40
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Waukesha, WI
$312 45% $97
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Waukesha, WI
$117 30.7% $52
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Waukesha, WI
$78 20% $13
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Waukesha, WI
$69 10.1% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,006 in Waukesha, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Waukesha, WI pays 171% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $76.0 in Waukesha, WI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $361 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇺🇸 Waukesha, WI
🕒 Local time
05:49 5:49 AM
23:49 11:49 PM
6 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
71,158
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Waukesha, WI 6,410 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Waukesha, WI

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 Waukesha, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Waukesha, WI?
Lisbon and Waukesha, WI differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $2,030 including rent). Waukesha, WI is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 171% lower in Waukesha, WI. 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 Waukesha, WI?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,006 in Waukesha, WI. 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 Waukesha, WI?
Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $1,472 in Waukesha, WI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $2,030 in Waukesha, WI versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Waukesha, WI but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Waukesha, WI the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Waukesha, WI?
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 Waukesha, WI safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Waukesha, WI are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Waukesha, WI?
Expats usually find Waukesha, WI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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