Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bensheim and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bensheim: $2,037 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Bensheim
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,037
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,037 in Bensheim versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Bensheim $2,037
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,013 in Bensheim versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Bensheim $3,013
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,989 in Bensheim versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Bensheim $3,989
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Bensheim costs roughly 8% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bensheim 51% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bensheim
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.69 €14.84
$16.50 €14.67
1.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.2 €71.4
$61.3 €54.5
30.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.28 €11.82
$11.27 €10.03
17.83%
Cappuccino
$4.03 €3.58
$3.06 €2.72
31.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.56 €3.17
$2.26 €2.01
57.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38 €3.00
$1.73 €1.54
95.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.23 €4.65
$3.39 €3.02
54.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.09 €3.64
$3.40 €3.02
20.29%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bensheim
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.12 €1.00
33.93%
White Bread (500g)
$2.17 €1.93
$1.86 €1.65
16.67%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.82 €3.39
$1.53 €1.36
149.67%
Eggs
$3.89 €3.46
$3.96 €3.53
-1.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.69 €12.18
$12.76 €11.35
7.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.64 €9.47
$7.90 €7.02
34.68%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.21 €23.32
$16.97 €15.09
54.45%
Apples (1kg)
$3.30 €2.93
$2.27 €2.02
45.37%
Banana (1kg)
$2.19 €1.95
$1.75 €1.55
25.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.98 €1.76
$1.85 €1.64
7.03%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.63 €3.23
$2.57 €2.28
41.25%
Potato (1kg)
$1.16 €1.03
$1.86 €1.65
-37.63%
Onion (1kg)
$1.23 €1.09
$2.02 €1.80
-39.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.52 €1.35
$1.44 €1.28
5.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.11 €0.98
$0.82 €0.73
35.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.89 €8.80
$6.56 €5.83
50.76%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.66 €5.04
$5.62 €5.00
0.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.13 €1.01
$1.28 €1.14
-11.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.52 €1.35
$2.07 €1.84
-26.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Bensheim
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.55 €3.15
$2.35 €2.09
51.06%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.6 €59.2
$44.18 €39.30
50.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.34 €3.86
$3.99 €3.55
8.77%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.21 €1.97
$1.09 €0.97
102.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$36.26 €32.25
$16.64 €14.81
117.91%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.13 €1.89
$2.28 €2.03
-6.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.9K €29.2K
$33.7K €30.0K
-2.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.1K
$39.3K €35.0K
-2.41%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bensheim
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$355 €316
$167 €149
112.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$27.29 €24.28
$18.80 €16.72
45.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.25 €43.81
$33.09 €29.43
48.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bensheim
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.03 €37.38
$46.01 €40.93
-8.65%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.44 €23.52
$19.19 €17.07
37.78%
Cinema Ticket
$13.37 €11.90
$9.84 €8.75
35.87%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bensheim
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$539 €480
$677 €602
-20.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.1K €16.1K
$16.9K €15.1K
6.73%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bensheim
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.0 €74.7
$101 €90.1
-17.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.63 €30.80
$45.76 €40.70
-24.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.6 €85.1
$100.0 €88.9
-4.35%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$138 €122
$123 €109
12.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bensheim
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$860 €765
$1,614 €1,436
-46.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$656 €584
$1,197 €1,065
-45.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,460 €1,299
$2,862 €2,545
-48.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,035 €921
$1,990 €1,770
-47.98%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,991 €4,439
$7,577 €6,740
-34.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,757 €3,342
$4,307 €3,831
-12.76%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bensheim
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,388 €3,904
$1,588 €1,412
176.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.62
3.85
-5.97%

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

Last update for Bensheim: 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
Bensheim
$656
Lisbon
$1.2K 82.4% $541
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bensheim
$432
Lisbon
$219 49.2% $213
Groceries & Markets
Bensheim
$342
Lisbon
$269 21.1% $72
Eating Out
Bensheim
$284
Lisbon
$242 14.6% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Bensheim
$158
Lisbon
$166 5.1% $8
Getting Around
Bensheim
$96
Lisbon
$63 34.5% $33
Sport & Entertainment
Bensheim
$69
Lisbon
$66 4.5% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $860 in Bensheim and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bensheim pays 176% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $80.0 in Bensheim vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Bensheim
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
21:27 9:27 PM
20:27 8:27 PM
1 h behind Bensheim
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
41,124
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bensheim Lisbon 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bensheim
  • 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
Bensheim vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bensheim and in Lisbon?
Bensheim and Lisbon differ by about 9% in total monthly costs ($2,037 vs $2,223 including rent). Bensheim is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Bensheim or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 176% higher in Bensheim, 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 Bensheim and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $860 in Bensheim 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 Bensheim and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $539 in Bensheim 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?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,037 in Bensheim versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bensheim but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bensheim the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Bensheim 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 Bensheim or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Bensheim 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: Bensheim or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Bensheim gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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