Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Charles, IL and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $2,683 in Saint Charles, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Saint Charles, IL, United States
Lisbon, Portugal
Saint Charles, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,683
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,683 in Saint Charles, IL versus $2,206 in Lisbon.

  • Saint Charles, IL $2,683
  • Lisbon $2,206

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,967 in Saint Charles, IL versus $3,276 in Lisbon.

  • Saint Charles, IL $3,967
  • Lisbon $3,276

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,252 in Saint Charles, IL versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Saint Charles, IL $5,252
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Saint Charles, IL is roughly 22% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Charles, IL 98% above, Lisbon 63% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Saint Charles, IL
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$37.37 $37.37
$16.86 €15.08
121.65%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$101 $101
$61.0 €54.6
65.25%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.45 $10.45
$10.98 €9.82
-4.83%
Cappuccino
$7.12 $7.12
$3.05 €2.73
133.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 $3.24
$2.28 €2.04
42.11%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.96 $2.96
$1.68 €1.50
76.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.15 $7.15
$3.44 €3.07
107.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.52 $7.52
$3.91 €3.49
92.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Saint Charles, IL
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.05 $1.05
$1.15 €1.03
-8.70%
White Bread (500g)
$3.63 $3.63
$1.89 €1.69
92.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.26 $4.26
$1.50 €1.34
184.00%
Eggs
$4.50 $4.50
$4.12 €3.68
9.22%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.68 $12.68
$13.01 €11.63
-2.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.47 $11.47
$8.04 €7.19
42.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.11 $13.11
$17.89 €16.00
-26.72%
Apples (1kg)
$5.02 $5.02
$2.27 €2.03
121.15%
Banana (1kg)
$1.02 $1.02
$1.74 €1.56
-41.38%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.20 $4.20
$1.82 €1.63
130.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.76 $4.76
$2.69 €2.40
76.95%
Potato (1kg)
$2.79 $2.79
$1.77 €1.58
57.63%
Onion (1kg)
$2.93 $2.93
$1.94 €1.73
51.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.59 $1.59
$1.46 €1.31
8.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.31 $2.31
$0.76 €0.68
203.95%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.23 $10.23
$6.66 €5.95
53.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.22 $15.22
$5.64 €5.04
169.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.19 $2.19
$1.29 €1.15
69.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.47 $3.47
$2.14 €1.91
62.15%
🚌 Getting Around
Saint Charles, IL
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.98 $1.98
$2.30 €2.06
-13.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$58.3 $58.3
$44.02 €39.36
32.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.55 $3.55
$3.98 €3.56
-10.80%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.68 $1.68
$0.64 €0.57
162.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$30.30 $30.30
$18.93 €16.92
60.06%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.03 $1.03
$2.28 €2.03
-54.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$31.8K $31.8K
$33.4K €29.8K
-4.63%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.0K $28.0K
$38.5K €34.4K
-27.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint Charles, IL
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$203 $203
$158 €141
28.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$66.9 $66.9
$17.54 €15.68
281.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.2 $71.2
$31.18 €27.89
128.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Saint Charles, IL
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.35 $44.35
$44.64 €39.92
-0.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$18.98 €16.97
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.85 $15.85
$9.58 €8.56
65.45%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Saint Charles, IL
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,473 $1,473
$674 €602
118.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.9K $22.9K
$18.7K €16.7K
22.14%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Saint Charles, IL
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.2 $53.2
$102 €91.4
-47.90%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$36.28 $36.28
$45.90 €41.04
-20.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$78.6 $78.6
$102 €91.4
-23.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 $123
$122 €109
1.16%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Saint Charles, IL
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,400 $1,400
$1,641 €1,467
-14.65%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,180 $1,180
$1,187 €1,062
-0.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,637 $2,637
$2,825 €2,526
-6.64%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,838 $1,838
$2,018 €1,805
-8.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,815 $2,815
$7,836 €7,007
-64.08%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,620 $2,620
$4,701 €4,204
-44.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Saint Charles, IL
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,687 €1,508
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.59
3.82
72.51%

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

Last update for Saint Charles, IL: October 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Saint Charles, IL
$1.2K
Lisbon
$1.2K 0.6% $7.6
Eating Out
Saint Charles, IL
$491
Lisbon
$245 50.1% $246
Groceries & Markets
Saint Charles, IL
$385
Lisbon
$275 28.7% $111
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Saint Charles, IL
$341
Lisbon
$207 39.4% $135
Clothing & Footwear
Saint Charles, IL
$131
Lisbon
$168 27.7% $36
Getting Around
Saint Charles, IL
$78
Lisbon
$60 22.7% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Saint Charles, IL
$76
Lisbon
$64 16.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,400 in Saint Charles, IL and $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Saint Charles, IL vs $61 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $275 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Saint Charles, IL
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
12:42 12:42 PM
18:42 6:42 PM
6 h ahead of Saint Charles, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
70,329
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 November 3, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Saint Charles, IL Lisbon 6,470 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Saint Charles, 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
Saint Charles, IL vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Saint Charles, IL and in Lisbon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,683 in Saint Charles, IL and $2,206 in Lisbon, so Lisbon is about 18% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Saint Charles, IL compared to Lisbon?
You’d need roughly $4,024 in Saint Charles, IL and $3,309 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 Saint Charles, IL and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,400 in Saint Charles, IL versus $1,641 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Saint Charles, IL and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $1,473 in Saint Charles, IL versus $674 in Lisbon. 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 40% higher in Saint Charles, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Saint Charles, IL compared to Lisbon?
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 Saint Charles, 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 Saint Charles, IL or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Saint Charles, IL and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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