Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Amsterdam and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $3,465 in Amsterdam, rent and utilities included – about $14,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

168

Cost of Living Index in Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Amsterdam

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$3,465

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $3,465 per month in Amsterdam vs $2,223 in Lisbon, rent included.

Amsterdam $3,465
Lisbon $2,223

A couple spends around $4,929 per month in Amsterdam vs $3,271 in Lisbon, rent included.

Amsterdam $4,929
Lisbon $3,271

A family of three spends $6,393 per month in Amsterdam vs $4,319 in Lisbon, rent included.

Amsterdam $6,393
Lisbon $4,319

Amsterdam costs about 56% more than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Amsterdam and Lisbon sit above the global median – Amsterdam by 157%, Lisbon by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.10 €19.66

$16.50 €14.67

33.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.0 €80.0

$61.3 €54.5

46.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.32 €13.63

$11.27 €10.03

35.94%

Cappuccino

$4.58 €4.07

$3.06 €2.72

49.67%

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

$3.70 €3.29

$2.26 €2.01

63.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.65

$1.73 €1.54

72.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.38 €6.56

$3.39 €3.02

117.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.73 €5.10

$3.40 €3.02

68.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.12 €1.00

40.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €2.04

$1.86 €1.65

23.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$1.53 €1.36

64.05%

Eggs

$5.07 €4.51

$3.96 €3.53

28.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.73 €14.88

$12.76 €11.35

31.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.11 €11.66

$7.90 €7.02

65.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.79 €20.28

$16.97 €15.09

34.30%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 €2.43

$2.27 €2.02

20.26%

Banana (1kg)

$2.76 €2.46

$1.75 €1.55

57.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$1.85 €1.64

48.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.78 €3.37

$2.57 €2.28

47.08%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 €2.11

$1.86 €1.65

27.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 €1.43

$2.02 €1.80

-20.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.44 €1.28

1.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.58

$0.82 €0.73

115.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.52 €12.92

$6.56 €5.83

121.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.10 €8.09

$5.62 €5.00

61.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 €1.59

$1.28 €1.14

39.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 €2.16

$2.07 €1.84

17.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.69 €3.29

$2.35 €2.09

57.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$112 €100

$44.18 €39.30

154.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €4.01

$3.99 €3.55

13.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.44 €3.06

$1.09 €0.97

215.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.71 €35.32

$16.64 €14.81

138.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.28 €2.03

15.35%

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

$41.3K €36.7K

$33.7K €30.0K

22.67%

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

$39.4K €35.1K

$39.3K €35.0K

0.31%

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

$295 €262

$167 €149

76.01%

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

$22.26 €19.80

$18.80 €16.72

18.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 €45.46

$33.09 €29.43

54.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.9 €53.3

$46.01 €40.93

30.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.44 €31.52

$19.19 €17.07

84.68%

Cinema Ticket

$16.82 €14.96

$9.84 €8.75

70.93%

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

$2,826 €2,513

$677 €602

317.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K €15.2K

$16.9K €15.1K

1.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.5 €82.3

$101 €90.1

-8.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.61 €37.01

$45.76 €40.70

-9.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.6 €86.9

$100.0 €88.9

-2.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €117

$123 €109

7.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,575 €2,290

$1,614 €1,436

59.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,955 €1,739

$1,197 €1,065

63.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,997 €3,555

$2,862 €2,545

39.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,053 €2,716

$1,990 €1,770

53.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.4K €9,222

$7,577 €6,740

36.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,494 €5,776

$4,307 €3,831

50.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,692 €4,174

$1,588 €1,412

195.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.27

3.85

-15.06%

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

Last update for Amsterdam: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Amsterdam

$2K 56.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 38.8% $758

Groceries & Markets

Amsterdam

$383 11%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 29.6% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Amsterdam

$368 10.6%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 40.4% $149

Eating Out

Amsterdam

$353 10.2%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 31.3% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Amsterdam

$164 4.7%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 1.7% $2.7

Getting Around

Amsterdam

$149 4.3%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 57.7% $86

Sport & Entertainment

Amsterdam

$94 2.7%

Lisbon

$66 3% 29.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,575 in Amsterdam versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 196% higher in Amsterdam, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $90.0 in Amsterdam versus $61.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $383 vs $269 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Amsterdam

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

13:10 1:10 PM

12:10 12:10 PM

1 h behind Amsterdam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

881,933 Capital

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Amsterdam Lisbon 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Amsterdam
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

Amsterdam vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Amsterdam is pricier by about 56%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $5,197 per month in Amsterdam and $3,335 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 155% less in Lisbon. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $2,826 per month in Amsterdam and $677 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,223, than in Amsterdam at $3,465. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Amsterdam it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Amsterdam makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.