Cost of Living Comparison Between Rapid City, SD and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Rapid City, SD and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,430 in Rapid City, SD versus $2,296 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,403 in Rapid City, SD versus $3,376 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,377 in Rapid City, SD versus $4,457 in Lisbon.

Living in Rapid City, SD is roughly 6% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rapid City, SD 78% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.98 $16.98

$17.59 €15.33

-3.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 $62.3

$62.9 €54.8

-0.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 $10.87

$11.58 €10.10

-6.13%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$3.10 €2.70

81.94%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$2.49 €2.17

-2.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.74 €1.52

-2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.48 €3.03

13.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.43 $5.43

$3.44 €3.00

57.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.15 €1.00

-7.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.91 €1.66

57.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.50 €1.31

27.33%

Eggs

$4.30 $4.30

$3.98 €3.47

8.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 $13.24

$13.29 €11.59

-0.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.18 $8.18

$8.01 €6.98

2.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.93 $12.93

$18.04 €15.73

-28.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.35 €2.05

55.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.75 €1.53

-26.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.85 €1.62

40.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.55 €2.22

45.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.84 €1.61

1.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.10 €1.83

23.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.49 €1.30

44.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$0.82 €0.71

258.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.48 $9.48

$7.10 €6.19

33.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 $13.96

$5.91 €5.15

136.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.31 €1.15

30.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.94 $4.94

$2.13 €1.86

131.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.36 €2.05

-35.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.80 $29.80

$46.62 €40.63

-36.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$4.08 €3.55

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.14 €0.99

6.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.70 $24.70

$17.09 €14.90

44.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$2.31 €2.01

-61.90%

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

$34.9K $34.9K

$34.1K €29.7K

2.29%

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

$32.6K $32.6K

$41.4K €36.1K

-21.12%

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

$191 $191

$169 €147

13.51%

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

$45.68 $45.68

$19.33 €16.85

136.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.6 $62.6

$33.51 €29.21

86.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 $50.7

$48.84 €42.57

3.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.77 $14.77

$19.43 €16.94

-23.98%

Cinema Ticket

$12.03 $12.03

$9.57 €8.34

25.71%

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

$778 $778

$696 €607

11.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 $60.4

$105 €91.8

-42.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.9 $74.9

$47.75 €41.62

56.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.8 $78.8

$101 €87.6

-21.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$124 €108

-13.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$968 $968

$1,662 €1,449

-41.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,212 $1,212

$1,246 €1,086

-2.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,735 $1,735

$2,965 €2,584

-41.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 $1,784

$2,049 €1,786

-12.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,539 $2,539

$7,834 €6,829

-67.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,572 $2,572

$4,464 €3,892

-42.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,868 $3,868

$1,632 €1,422

137.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.22

3.78

64.55%

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

Last update for Rapid City, SD: September 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $968 in Rapid City, SD and $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rapid City, SD pays 137% 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: $62.0 in Rapid City, SD vs $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $341 vs $277, 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

Rapid City, SD vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rapid City, SD and Lisbon differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,430 vs $2,296 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 137% higher in Rapid City, SD, 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: $968 in Rapid City, SD versus $1,662 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $778 in Rapid City, SD versus $696 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in Rapid City, SD. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,430 in Rapid City, SD, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Rapid City, SD. 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, Rapid City, SD 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 6% less than in Rapid City, SD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.