Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bochum and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bochum: $1,806 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

88

Cost of Living Index in Bochum
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Bochum Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Bochum

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,806

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,806 per month in Bochum vs $2,223 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bochum $1,806
Lisbon $2,223

A couple spends around $2,869 per month in Bochum vs $3,271 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bochum $2,869
Lisbon $3,271

A family of three spends $3,933 per month in Bochum vs $4,319 in Lisbon, rent included.

Bochum $3,933
Lisbon $4,319

Bochum is about 19% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Bochum and Lisbon sit above the global median – Bochum by 34%, Lisbon by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.55 €14.72

$16.50 €14.67

0.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 €70.4

$61.3 €54.5

29.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 €11.05

$11.27 €10.03

10.29%

Cappuccino

$4.16 €3.70

$3.06 €2.72

35.95%

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

$3.17 €2.82

$2.26 €2.01

40.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.67

$1.73 €1.54

73.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 €5.09

$3.39 €3.02

69.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 €4.58

$3.40 €3.02

51.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.12 €1.00

8.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.86 €1.65

26.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 €3.25

$1.53 €1.36

138.56%

Eggs

$3.67 €3.26

$3.96 €3.53

-7.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.61 €12.99

$12.76 €11.35

14.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 €11.05

$7.90 €7.02

57.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.25 €20.68

$16.97 €15.09

37.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 €2.95

$2.27 €2.02

45.81%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.79

$1.75 €1.55

15.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.85 €1.64

15.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 €3.58

$2.57 €2.28

56.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.86 €1.65

-28.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 €1.09

$2.02 €1.80

-39.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.44 €1.28

7.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.82 €0.73

31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 €8.60

$6.56 €5.83

47.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.54 €5.82

$5.62 €5.00

16.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.81

$1.28 €1.14

-28.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.45

$2.07 €1.84

-21.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 €3.38

$2.35 €2.09

61.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 €57.8

$44.18 €39.30

47.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.55 €4.93

$3.99 €3.55

39.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 €2.42

$1.09 €0.97

149.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.12 €30.35

$16.64 €14.81

105.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.83

$2.28 €2.03

-9.65%

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

$32.2K €28.7K

$33.7K €30.0K

-4.34%

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

$38.5K €34.3K

$39.3K €35.0K

-1.93%

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

$324 €289

$167 €149

93.71%

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

$30.22 €26.88

$18.80 €16.72

60.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.16 €32.17

$33.09 €29.43

9.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.24 €26.89

$46.01 €40.93

-34.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.57 €23.63

$19.19 €17.07

38.46%

Cinema Ticket

$16.45 €14.64

$9.84 €8.75

67.17%

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

$400 €356

$677 €602

-40.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K €19.4K

$16.9K €15.1K

29.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €79.2

$101 €90.1

-12.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.59 €37.00

$45.76 €40.70

-9.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €85.2

$100.0 €88.9

-4.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$123 €109

9.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 €716

$1,614 €1,436

-50.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 €411

$1,197 €1,065

-61.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 €1,148

$2,862 €2,545

-54.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 €902

$1,990 €1,770

-49.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,951 €3,515

$7,577 €6,740

-47.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,240 €3,772

$4,307 €3,831

-1.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,674 €2,379

$1,588 €1,412

68.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

3.85

-0.52%

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

Last update for Bochum: October 10, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bochum

$463 25.6%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 159% $735

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bochum

$391 21.6%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 43.9% $171

Groceries & Markets

Bochum

$345 19.1%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 21.8% $75

Eating Out

Bochum

$283 15.7%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 14.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Bochum

$162 9%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 2.5% $4.1

Getting Around

Bochum

$99 5.5%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 36.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Bochum

$63 3.5%

Lisbon

$66 3% 4% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $805 in Bochum 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 68% higher in Bochum, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Bochum versus $61.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $345 vs $269 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Bochum

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

16:51 4:51 PM

1 h behind Bochum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

371,075

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Bochum Lisbon 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Bochum
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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

Bochum vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,806 in Bochum, $2,223 in Lisbon – roughly 23% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,709 per month in Bochum 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 Bochum, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $79.0 in Bochum and $61.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,806 in Bochum and $2,223 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 23%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Bochum, where all-in costs run around $1,806, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Bochum it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,806 in Bochum to $2,223 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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