Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rock Island, IL and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,664 in Rock Island, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Rock Island, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,664
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rock Island, IL and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rock Island, IL and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,664 in Rock Island, IL versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Rock Island, IL $2,664
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,843 in Rock Island, IL versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Rock Island, IL $3,843
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,023 in Rock Island, IL versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Rock Island, IL $5,023
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Rock Island, IL is roughly 21% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rock Island, IL 97% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rock Island, IL
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.07 $20.07
$17.04 €15.15
17.78%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$67.2 $67.2
$62.3 €55.4
7.82%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.84 $12.84
$11.02 €9.80
16.52%
Cappuccino
$5.90 $5.90
$3.12 €2.78
89.10%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 $3.14
$2.27 €2.02
38.33%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.40 $2.40
$1.74 €1.55
37.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.08 $7.08
$3.42 €3.04
107.02%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.97 $7.97
$3.74 €3.33
113.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rock Island, IL
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.17 €1.04
-19.66%
White Bread (500g)
$3.51 $3.51
$1.86 €1.66
88.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.23 $4.23
$1.54 €1.37
174.68%
Eggs
$3.71 $3.71
$4.06 €3.61
-8.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.09 $15.09
$12.91 €11.49
16.89%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.15 $13.15
$7.90 €7.03
66.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$20.09 $20.09
$17.64 €15.69
13.89%
Apples (1kg)
$4.73 $4.73
$2.26 €2.01
109.29%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 $1.63
$1.75 €1.55
-6.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.15 $5.15
$1.89 €1.68
172.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.79 $4.79
$2.56 €2.27
87.11%
Potato (1kg)
$2.80 $2.80
$1.85 €1.64
51.35%
Onion (1kg)
$3.13 $3.13
$1.97 €1.75
58.88%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.45 €1.29
48.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.42 $2.42
$0.77 €0.69
214.29%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.72 $10.72
$6.71 €5.97
59.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.51 $15.51
$5.67 €5.04
173.54%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.66 $2.66
$1.37 €1.22
94.16%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 $4.36
$2.11 €1.88
106.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Rock Island, IL
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.82 $1.82
$2.32 €2.07
-21.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.43 €39.52
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.96 $3.96
$3.95 €3.51
0.25%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.99 $1.99
$1.05 €0.93
89.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$44.24 $44.24
$17.15 €15.26
157.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.00 $1.00
$2.19 €1.95
-54.34%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.2K $31.2K
$33.8K €30.0K
-7.70%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.6K $25.6K
$38.3K €34.0K
-33.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rock Island, IL
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$267 $267
$164 €146
62.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$52.3 $52.3
$18.48 €16.43
182.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$80.6 $80.6
$32.96 €29.32
144.63%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rock Island, IL
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.16 $45.16
$45.87 €40.80
-1.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.68 €16.61
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.12 $15.12
$9.75 €8.67
55.08%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rock Island, IL
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,719 $1,719
$684 €608
151.27%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.8K $23.8K
$17.6K €15.7K
35.08%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rock Island, IL
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.5 $64.5
$104 €92.3
-37.82%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$50.9 $50.9
$46.20 €41.09
10.06%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 $108
$99.7 €88.7
7.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$120 $120
$125 €111
-3.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rock Island, IL
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,812 $1,812
$1,589 €1,414
14.02%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,239 $1,239
$1,169 €1,040
5.94%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,614 $2,614
$2,851 €2,536
-8.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,021 $2,021
$1,993 €1,773
1.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,912 $2,912
$7,793 €6,932
-62.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,284 $2,284
$4,418 €3,930
-48.30%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rock Island, IL
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,600 €1,423
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.69
3.85
73.77%

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

Last update for Rock Island, IL: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rock Island, IL
$1.2K
Lisbon
$1.2K 5.6% $69
Groceries & Markets
Rock Island, IL
$431
Lisbon
$273 36.6% $158
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rock Island, IL
$400
Lisbon
$215 46.2% $185
Eating Out
Rock Island, IL
$343
Lisbon
$247 27.9% $96
Clothing & Footwear
Rock Island, IL
$154
Lisbon
$168 9.2% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Rock Island, IL
$75
Lisbon
$65 13.3% $10
Getting Around
Rock Island, IL
$21 *
Lisbon
$63 197% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,812 in Rock Island, IL and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $67.0 in Rock Island, IL vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $431 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Rock Island, IL
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
20:50 8:50 PM
02:50 2:50 AM
6 h ahead of Rock Island, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
37,108
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Rock Island, IL Lisbon 6,660 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rock Island, IL
  • Lisbon

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
Rock Island, IL vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Rock Island, IL and in Lisbon?
Rock Island, IL and Lisbon differ by about 21% in total monthly costs ($2,664 vs $2,202 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Rock Island, IL compared to Lisbon?
You'd need roughly $3,995 in Rock Island, IL and $3,302 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How do apartment prices compare in Rock Island, IL and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,812 in Rock Island, IL versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 58% higher in Rock Island, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Rock Island, IL or Lisbon?
All in, you'll spend $2,664 per month in Rock Island, IL versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,664 in Rock Island, IL, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Rock Island, IL. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Rock Island, IL and Lisbon?
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 Rock Island, IL or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Rock Island, 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.
Where should expats move: Rock Island, IL or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Rock Island, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Rock Island, IL vs other spots: cost of living compared

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