Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stillwater, MN and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,884 in Stillwater, MN, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Stillwater, MN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,884
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,884 in Stillwater, MN versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Stillwater, MN $2,884
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,047 in Stillwater, MN versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Stillwater, MN $4,047
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,209 in Stillwater, MN versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Stillwater, MN $5,209
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Stillwater, MN is roughly 30% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stillwater, MN 114% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Stillwater, MN
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.57 $17.57
$16.50 €14.67
6.48%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.0 $81.0
$61.3 €54.5
32.23%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.12 $12.12
$11.27 €10.03
7.54%
Cappuccino
$5.85 $5.85
$3.06 €2.72
91.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 $3.08
$2.26 €2.01
36.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 $2.27
$1.73 €1.54
31.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.85 $6.85
$3.39 €3.02
102.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.04 $8.04
$3.40 €3.02
136.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Stillwater, MN
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.90 $0.90
$1.12 €1.00
-19.64%
White Bread (500g)
$3.61 $3.61
$1.86 €1.65
94.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$6.49 $6.49
$1.53 €1.36
324.18%
Eggs
$3.59 $3.59
$3.96 €3.53
-9.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$10.24 $10.24
$12.76 €11.35
-19.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.54 $13.54
$7.90 €7.02
71.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.88 $18.88
$16.97 €15.09
11.26%
Apples (1kg)
$4.48 $4.48
$2.27 €2.02
97.36%
Banana (1kg)
$1.81 $1.81
$1.75 €1.55
3.43%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.57 $4.57
$1.85 €1.64
147.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.25 $5.25
$2.57 €2.28
104.28%
Potato (1kg)
$4.31 $4.31
$1.86 €1.65
131.72%
Onion (1kg)
$4.16 $4.16
$2.02 €1.80
105.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.29 $2.29
$1.44 €1.28
59.03%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.59 $2.59
$0.82 €0.73
215.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.94 $12.94
$6.56 €5.83
97.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.69 $15.69
$5.62 €5.00
179.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.86 $2.86
$1.28 €1.14
123.44%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.78 $5.78
$2.07 €1.84
179.23%
🚌 Getting Around
Stillwater, MN
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$2.35 €2.09
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$82.9 $82.9
$44.18 €39.30
87.57%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.06 $5.06
$3.99 €3.55
26.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.73 $1.73
$1.09 €0.97
58.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.82 $23.82
$16.64 €14.81
43.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$2.28 €2.03
-55.70%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.1K $36.1K
$33.7K €30.0K
7.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.5K $25.5K
$39.3K €35.0K
-35.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stillwater, MN
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$131 $131
$167 €149
-21.67%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.7 $54.7
$18.80 €16.72
191.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$66.7 $66.7
$33.09 €29.43
101.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Stillwater, MN
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$127 $127
$46.01 €40.93
174.94%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$34.50 $34.50
$19.19 €17.07
79.78%
Cinema Ticket
$15.54 $15.54
$9.84 €8.75
57.93%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Stillwater, MN
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,383 $1,383
$677 €602
104.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.8K $35.8K
$16.9K €15.1K
111.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Stillwater, MN
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.7 $58.7
$101 €90.1
-41.98%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.66 $44.66
$45.76 €40.70
-2.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$90.5 $90.5
$100.0 €88.9
-9.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$49.40 $49.40
$123 €109
-59.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Stillwater, MN
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,492 $1,492
$1,614 €1,436
-7.56%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,512 $1,512
$1,197 €1,065
26.33%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,219 $2,219
$2,862 €2,545
-22.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,083 $2,083
$1,990 €1,770
4.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,067 $3,067
$7,577 €6,740
-59.52%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,899 $2,899
$4,307 €3,831
-32.69%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Stillwater, MN
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,855 $6,855
$1,588 €1,412
331.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.6
3.85
71.43%

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

Last update for Stillwater, MN: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Stillwater, MN
$1.5K
Lisbon
$1.2K 20.8% $315
Groceries & Markets
Stillwater, MN
$437
Lisbon
$269 38.4% $168
Eating Out
Stillwater, MN
$319
Lisbon
$242 24% $77
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Stillwater, MN
$253
Lisbon
$219 13.1% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Stillwater, MN
$158
Lisbon
$66 58.3% $92
Clothing & Footwear
Stillwater, MN
$109
Lisbon
$166 52% $57
Getting Around
Stillwater, MN
$97 *
Lisbon
$63 34.8% $34

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 $1,492 in Stillwater, MN and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stillwater, MN pays 332% 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: $81.0 in Stillwater, MN vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $437 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Stillwater, MN
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
18:42 6:42 PM
00:42 12:42 AM
6 h ahead of Stillwater, MN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
44,818
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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Stillwater, MN Lisbon 6,650 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Stillwater, MN
  • 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
Stillwater, MN vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Stillwater, MN and in Lisbon?
Stillwater, MN and Lisbon differ by about 30% in total monthly costs ($2,884 vs $2,223 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Stillwater, MN or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 332% higher in Stillwater, MN, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Stillwater, MN and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,492 in Stillwater, MN versus $1,614 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 Stillwater, MN and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $1,383 in Stillwater, MN versus $677 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 62% higher in Stillwater, MN. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,884 in Stillwater, MN, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Stillwater, MN. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Stillwater, MN 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 Stillwater, MN or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Stillwater, MN 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: Stillwater, MN or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Stillwater, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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