Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bremen and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Bremen: $1,976 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Bremen
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,976
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,976 in Bremen versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Bremen $1,976
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,079 in Bremen versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Bremen $3,079
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,182 in Bremen versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Bremen $4,182
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Bremen costs roughly 11% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bremen 46% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Bremen
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$18.04 €16.05
$16.50 €14.67
9.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.6 €73.4
$61.3 €54.5
34.78%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.60 €10.32
$11.27 €10.03
2.93%
Cappuccino
$4.01 €3.56
$3.06 €2.72
31.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.03
$2.26 €2.01
50.44%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.94 €2.62
$1.73 €1.54
69.94%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.70 €5.07
$3.39 €3.02
68.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.50 €4.01
$3.40 €3.02
32.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Bremen
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.44 €1.29
$1.12 €1.00
28.57%
White Bread (500g)
$2.00 €1.78
$1.86 €1.65
7.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.78 €3.37
$1.53 €1.36
147.06%
Eggs
$3.89 €3.46
$3.96 €3.53
-1.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.02 €11.58
$12.76 €11.35
2.04%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.49 €10.22
$7.90 €7.02
45.44%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$27.16 €24.16
$16.97 €15.09
60.05%
Apples (1kg)
$3.40 €3.03
$2.27 €2.02
49.78%
Banana (1kg)
$2.20 €1.96
$1.75 €1.55
25.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.23 €1.99
$1.85 €1.64
20.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.26 €3.79
$2.57 €2.28
65.76%
Potato (1kg)
$1.60 €1.42
$1.86 €1.65
-13.98%
Onion (1kg)
$1.55 €1.38
$2.02 €1.80
-23.27%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.60 €1.42
$1.44 €1.28
11.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.15
$0.82 €0.73
58.54%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.03 €8.92
$6.56 €5.83
52.90%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.58 €4.97
$5.62 €5.00
-0.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.28 €1.14
-14.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.61 €1.44
$2.07 €1.84
-22.22%
🚌 Getting Around
Bremen
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.50 €3.11
$2.35 €2.09
48.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$70.4 €62.6
$44.18 €39.30
59.33%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.06 €2.72
$3.99 €3.55
-23.31%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.94 €2.62
$1.09 €0.97
169.72%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$41.83 €37.20
$16.64 €14.81
151.38%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.23 €1.98
$2.28 €2.03
-2.19%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.7K
$33.7K €30.0K
-0.74%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.9K €33.7K
$39.3K €35.0K
-3.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bremen
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$311 €277
$167 €149
85.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$31.29 €27.83
$18.80 €16.72
66.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$34.61 €30.78
$33.09 €29.43
4.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Bremen
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.13 €33.91
$46.01 €40.93
-17.13%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.56 €22.73
$19.19 €17.07
33.19%
Cinema Ticket
$15.50 €13.78
$9.84 €8.75
57.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Bremen
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$399 €355
$677 €602
-41.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.4K €17.2K
$16.9K €15.1K
14.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Bremen
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$111 €98.6
$101 €90.1
9.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$74.1 €65.9
$45.76 €40.70
61.91%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.7 €79.8
$100.0 €88.9
-10.26%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$126 €112
$123 €109
2.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Bremen
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$866 €770
$1,614 €1,436
-46.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$604 €537
$1,197 €1,065
-49.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,577 €1,403
$2,862 €2,545
-44.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,160 €1,031
$1,990 €1,770
-41.73%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,991 €4,440
$7,577 €6,740
-34.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,243 €3,774
$4,307 €3,831
-1.49%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Bremen
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,362 €2,990
$1,588 €1,412
111.72%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.92
3.85
1.82%

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

Last update for Bremen: 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
Bremen
$604
Lisbon
$1.2K 98.1% $593
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Bremen
$377
Lisbon
$219 41.8% $158
Groceries & Markets
Bremen
$353
Lisbon
$269 23.7% $84
Eating Out
Bremen
$290
Lisbon
$242 16.5% $48
Clothing & Footwear
Bremen
$180
Lisbon
$166 7.8% $14
Getting Around
Bremen
$102
Lisbon
$63 38.3% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Bremen
$69
Lisbon
$66 5% $3.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $866 in Bremen and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bremen pays 112% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83.0 in Bremen vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Bremen
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
08:29 8:29 AM
07:29 7:29 AM
1 h behind Bremen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
551,767
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Bremen Lisbon 2,100 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Bremen
  • 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
Bremen vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Bremen and in Lisbon?
Bremen and Lisbon differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($1,976 vs $2,223 including rent). Bremen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Where can you earn more: Bremen or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 112% higher in Bremen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Bremen and Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $866 in Bremen versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Bremen or in Lisbon?
Dining out is cheaper in Bremen – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $61.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Bremen and in Lisbon?
All in, you'll spend $1,976 per month in Bremen versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $2,500 a realistic budget for living in Bremen or in Lisbon?
At $1,976 in Bremen versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Bremen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bremen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Bremen or Lisbon more family-friendly?
For families, Bremen is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Bremen or Lisbon?
Safety-wise, Bremen 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.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Bremen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Bremen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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