Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Brugge and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Brugge: $2,117 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

103

Cost of Living Index in Brugge
Learn more

Brugge Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

Jump to prices

Brugge

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,117

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,117 per month in Brugge vs $2,223 in Lisbon, rent included.

Brugge $2,117
Lisbon $2,223

A couple spends around $3,097 per month in Brugge vs $3,271 in Lisbon, rent included.

Brugge $3,097
Lisbon $3,271

A family of three spends $4,077 per month in Brugge vs $4,319 in Lisbon, rent included.

Brugge $4,077
Lisbon $4,319

Brugge is about 5% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Brugge and Lisbon sit above the global median – Brugge by 57%, Lisbon by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.26 €19.80

$16.50 €14.67

34.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 €70.5

$61.3 €54.5

29.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.35 €10.09

$11.27 €10.03

0.71%

Cappuccino

$4.36 €3.88

$3.06 €2.72

42.48%

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

$2.89 €2.57

$2.26 €2.01

27.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 €2.53

$1.73 €1.54

64.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.35 €4.76

$3.39 €3.02

57.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.33 €3.85

$3.40 €3.02

27.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 €1.06

$1.12 €1.00

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 €1.71

$1.86 €1.65

3.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.53 €1.36

33.33%

Eggs

$3.93 €3.50

$3.96 €3.53

-0.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.55 €10.27

$12.76 €11.35

-9.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.83 €10.52

$7.90 €7.02

49.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.28 €17.15

$16.97 €15.09

13.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$2.27 €2.02

15.86%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 €1.87

$1.75 €1.55

20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.85 €1.64

15.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 €1.99

$2.57 €2.28

-13.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.86 €1.65

20.97%

Onion (1kg)

$0.89 €0.80

$2.02 €1.80

-55.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.44 €1.28

5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.87 €0.77

$0.82 €0.73

6.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.23 €11.77

$6.56 €5.83

101.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.05 €6.27

$5.62 €5.00

25.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.28 €1.14

-14.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 €1.69

$2.07 €1.84

-8.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 €2.78

$2.35 €2.09

32.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.7 €47.77

$44.18 €39.30

21.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 €2.93

$3.99 €3.55

-17.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.50 €2.22

$1.09 €0.97

129.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.26 €22.47

$16.64 €14.81

51.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.28 €2.03

-13.60%

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

$35.0K €31.1K

$33.7K €30.0K

3.86%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$39.3K €35.0K

-14.08%

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

$214 €191

$167 €149

27.88%

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

$18.38 €16.35

$18.80 €16.72

-2.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.8 €46.94

$33.09 €29.43

59.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.18 €38.41

$46.01 €40.93

-6.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.49 €12.00

$19.19 €17.07

-29.70%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 €12.80

$9.84 €8.75

46.24%

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

$592 €527

$677 €602

-12.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,925 €4,381

$16.9K €15.1K

-70.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.1

$101 €90.1

1.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 €52.3

$45.76 €40.70

28.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 €78.7

$100.0 €88.9

-11.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$253 €225

$123 €109

105.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$919 €818

$1,614 €1,436

-43.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$828 €737

$1,197 €1,065

-30.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,282 €1,140

$2,862 €2,545

-55.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,176 €1,046

$1,990 €1,770

-40.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,650 €2,357

$7,577 €6,740

-65.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,463 €2,191

$4,307 €3,831

-42.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,551 €2,269

$1,588 €1,412

60.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.52

3.85

-8.57%

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

Last update for Brugge: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Brugge

$828 39.1%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 44.5% $369

Eating Out

Brugge

$323 15.3%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 25% $81

Groceries & Markets

Brugge

$301 14.2%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 10.4% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Brugge

$285 13.5%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 23.1% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Brugge

$226 10.7%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 26.4% $60

Getting Around

Brugge

$82 3.9%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 23.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Brugge

$72 3.4%

Lisbon

$66 3% 8.7% $6.3

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $919 in Brugge 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 61% higher in Brugge, 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 Brugge versus $61.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $301 vs $269 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Brugge

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

19:00 7:00 PM

18:00 6:00 PM

1 h behind Brugge

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,639

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

Brugge Lisbon 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Brugge
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

Brugge vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 5% more than Brugge, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,176 per month in Brugge 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 Brugge, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,117 in Brugge and $2,223 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 5%.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Brugge. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Brugge, where all-in costs run around $2,117, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Brugge it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Brugge – 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 Brugge. 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.