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Chicago vs Lisbon cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Chicago
๐ต๐น Lisbon
At a glance
- Where Lisbon is clearly cheaper: Beer (61%โ), Coffee (58%โ), Taxi (52%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Chicago is easier to travel (1.4 vs 2.0). Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Chicago 1 vs Lisbon 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Chicago | Lisbon | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 17$17 | โฌ 12$14 | Lisbon โ18% |
| Street food1 item | $ 8$8 | โฌ 4$4.65 | Lisbon โ42% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 42$42 | โฌ 30$34.9 | Lisbon โ17% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 5.5$5.5 | โฌ 2$2.33 | Lisbon โ58% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 7.5$7.5 | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | Lisbon โ61% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 15$15 | โฌ 9$10.5 | Lisbon โ30% |
| Bottled water | $ 1.8$1.8 | โฌ 0.8$0.93 | Lisbon โ48% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.7$2.7 | โฌ 1.5$1.74 | Lisbon โ35% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 17$17 | โฌ 7$8.14 | Lisbon โ52% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 10$10 | โฌ 5$5.81 | Lisbon โ42% |
| Transitone ride | $ 2.75$2.75 | โฌ 1.9$2.21 | Lisbon โ20% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 57$57 | โฌ 40$46.5 | Lisbon โ18% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 180$180 | โฌ 140$163 | Lisbon โ10% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 1,950$1,950 | โฌ 1,300$1,512 | Lisbon โ22% |
| Laundry | $ 4$4 | โฌ 2.5$2.91 | Lisbon โ27% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Lisbon โ42% |
| Haircutcut | $ 35$35 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Lisbon โ50% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 85$85 | โฌ 50$58.1 | Lisbon โ32% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 60$60 | โฌ 40$46.5 | Lisbon โ22% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 33$33 | โฌ 15$17.4 | Lisbon โ47% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Chicago or Lisbon?
Lisbon is 22% cheaper than Chicago. Daily budget $334 vs $272; a month $6,737 vs $5,020.
Which is easier to travel, Chicago or Lisbon?
Chicago is easier: Chicago 1.4/5 vs Lisbon 2.0/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Chicago and Lisbon?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Chicago is about $6,737 and Lisbon about $5,020 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.