Cost of Living Comparison Between Wausau, WI and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Wausau, WI and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,715 in Wausau, WI versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,691 in Wausau, WI versus $3,289 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,667 in Wausau, WI versus $4,369 in Lisbon.

Living in Wausau, WI costs roughly 22% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wausau, WI 28% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.58 $18.58

$15.71 €13.76

18.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.3 $64.3

$62.9 €55.1

2.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.30 $8.30

$10.53 €9.23

-21.18%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$2.88 €2.53

76.39%

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

$3.06 $3.06

$2.25 €1.97

36.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.56 €1.36

26.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.39 €2.97

44.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 $5.66

$3.90 €3.41

45.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.08 €0.95

-24.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.86 $2.86

$1.73 €1.51

65.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$1.76 €1.54

147.73%

Eggs

$4.24 $4.24

$3.16 €2.77

34.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.66 $8.66

$13.29 €11.64

-34.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$7.87 €6.89

-17.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.03 $14.03

$15.84 €13.88

-11.43%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.40 €2.11

80.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.70 €1.49

-33.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.03 €1.78

95.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.14 $4.14

$2.52 €2.21

64.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.86 €1.63

-3.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.06 €1.81

6.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.00 €1.75

-3.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.78 €0.68

25.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.49 $8.49

$6.65 €5.82

27.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.90 $8.90

$5.78 €5.06

53.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.38 €1.21

33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.02 €2.64

-26.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.33 €2.04

-13.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.82

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.86 $2.86

$4.08 €3.57

-29.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 $1.64

$0.80 €0.70

105.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.84 $20.84

$18.65 €16.34

11.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$2.00 €1.75

-58.00%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$35.4K €31.0K

-16.87%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$39.1K €34.2K

-33.85%

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

$165 $165

$150 €132

9.77%

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

$48.33 $48.33

$20.55 €18.01

135.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.7 $62.7

$39.45 €34.56

59.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.36 $30.36

$48.06 €42.11

-36.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.38

Cinema Ticket

$6.04 $6.04

$9.30 €8.15

-35.05%

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

$1,836 $1,836

$628 €550

192.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$16.5K €14.4K

49.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.12 $25.12

$102 €89.0

-75.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.08 $45.08

$41.55 €36.40

8.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$64.9 $64.9

$92.5 €81.0

-29.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.4 $84.4

$123 €107

-31.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$920 $920

$1,628 €1,426

-43.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$691 $691

$1,233 €1,080

-43.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,545 $1,545

$3,126 €2,739

-50.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,370 $1,370

$2,058 €1,803

-33.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,659 $1,659

$7,762 €6,801

-78.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,659 $1,659

$4,386 €3,843

-62.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,502 $3,502

$1,621 €1,420

116.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

3.81

71.92%

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

Last update for Wausau, WI: July 21, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $920 in Wausau, WI and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wausau, WI pays 116% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Wausau, WI vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

Wausau, WI vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wausau, WI and Lisbon differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($1,715 vs $2,210 including rent). Wausau, WI is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 116% higher in Wausau, WI, 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: $920 in Wausau, WI versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 10% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,715 per month in Wausau, WI versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,715 in Wausau, WI versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wausau, WI but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Wausau, WI 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, Wausau, WI 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 Wausau, WI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.