Cost of Living Comparison Between Ottawa, IL and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Ottawa, IL and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,449 in Ottawa, IL versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,479 in Ottawa, IL versus $3,289 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,509 in Ottawa, IL versus $4,369 in Lisbon.

Living in Ottawa, IL is roughly 11% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ottawa, IL 83% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.79 $14.79

$15.71 €13.80

-5.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.97 $49.97

$62.9 €55.2

-20.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.81 $10.81

$10.53 €9.25

2.66%

Cappuccino

$4.42 $4.42

$2.88 €2.53

53.47%

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

$1.95 $1.95

$2.25 €1.98

-13.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.56 €1.37

-5.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.53 $3.53

$3.39 €2.98

4.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.90 €3.42

-23.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.69 $0.69

$1.08 €0.95

-36.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.73 €1.52

53.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.76 €1.55

52.27%

Eggs

$2.63 $2.63

$3.16 €2.78

-16.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$13.29 €11.68

-13.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$7.87 €6.92

-22.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$15.84 €13.92

-16.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.40 €2.11

-6.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.70 €1.50

-5.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.03 €1.78

70.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$2.52 €2.21

69.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.86 €1.63

31.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.06 €1.81

17.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.00 €1.76

-2.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.78 €0.69

96.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.86 $8.86

$6.65 €5.84

33.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.74 $12.74

$5.78 €5.08

120.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.38 €1.22

48.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.02 €2.65

-32.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.33 €2.05

-15.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.94

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$4.08 €3.58

-15.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 $1.43

$0.80 €0.70

78.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 $29.55

$18.65 €16.38

58.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.00 €1.76

-54.50%

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

$40.2K $40.2K

$35.4K €31.1K

13.71%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$39.1K €34.3K

-41.42%

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

$221 $221

$150 €132

47.04%

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

$42.21 $42.21

$20.55 €18.06

105.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.5 $61.5

$39.45 €34.66

55.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.77 $42.77

$48.06 €42.23

-11.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.13 $27.13

$18.70 €16.43

45.08%

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 $12.12

$9.30 €8.17

30.32%

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

$1,213 $1,213

$628 €552

93.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.1K $23.1K

$16.5K €14.5K

40.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.20 $44.20

$102 €89.2

-56.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.57 $40.57

$41.55 €36.51

-2.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.7 $88.7

$92.5 €81.3

-4.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$123 €108

20.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,609 $1,609

$1,628 €1,430

-1.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 $1,334

$1,233 €1,083

8.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,670 $2,670

$3,126 €2,747

-14.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,258 $2,258

$2,058 €1,808

9.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,929 $2,929

$7,762 €6,821

-62.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,476 $2,476

$4,386 €3,854

-43.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,387 $2,387

$1,621 €1,425

47.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

3.81

72.18%

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

Last update for Ottawa, IL: July 21, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,609 in Ottawa, IL and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ottawa, IL pays 47% 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: $50.0 in Ottawa, IL vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $294 vs $269, 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

Ottawa, IL vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ottawa, IL and Lisbon differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,449 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 47% higher in Ottawa, IL, 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: $1,609 in Ottawa, IL versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 9% higher in Ottawa, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,449 per month in Ottawa, IL versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,449 in Ottawa, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Ottawa, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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, Ottawa, IL and Lisbon 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Ottawa, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.