Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Brussels and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,511 in Brussels versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,815 in Brussels versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,120 in Brussels versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Brussels is roughly 14% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Brussels 87% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.39 €24.44

$15.91 €13.70

78.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$92.7 €79.8

$64.8 €55.8

43.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.30 €13.17

$10.51 €9.05

45.58%

Cappuccino

$4.84 €4.16

$2.87 €2.47

68.64%

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

$3.11 €2.68

$2.24 €1.93

38.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.50 €1.29

98.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.12 €6.13

$3.49 €3.01

104.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.83 €5.02

$3.88 €3.34

50.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.55 €1.34

$1.14 €0.98

35.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.01 €2.59

$1.75 €1.51

72.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.80 €2.41

$1.76 €1.51

59.09%

Eggs

$4.89 €4.21

$3.22 €2.77

51.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.57 €14.27

$13.49 €11.61

22.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.48 €11.61

$7.91 €6.81

70.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.92 €16.29

$15.87 €13.67

19.22%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.55

$2.31 €1.99

28.14%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$1.70 €1.46

48.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.77 €2.39

$2.01 €1.73

37.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.14 €2.70

$2.46 €2.12

27.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.22

$1.84 €1.59

39.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.00 €1.72

23.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.93 €1.66

-10.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.00

$0.79 €0.68

46.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.57 €10.82

$6.61 €5.69

90.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.47 €8.16

$5.72 €4.93

65.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.16

$1.37 €1.18

83.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 €2.79

$2.97 €2.56

9.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.81 €2.42

$2.37 €2.04

18.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.6 €52.2

$45.56 €39.22

32.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.59 €6.53

$4.29 €3.69

76.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 €2.00

$0.82 €0.70

184.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.30 €29.53

$18.30 €15.76

87.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.85 €1.59

$2.06 €1.78

-10.19%

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

$34.1K €29.3K

$34.3K €29.5K

-0.59%

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

$35.4K €30.5K

$39.3K €33.8K

-9.80%

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

$262 €226

$148 €127

77.49%

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

$21.44 €18.46

$20.52 €17.67

4.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.2 €48.37

$39.61 €34.10

41.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.19 €35.46

$47.85 €41.19

-13.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$31.33 €26.98

$18.92 €16.29

65.59%

Cinema Ticket

$15.24 €13.12

$9.18 €7.91

66.01%

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

$1,117 €962

$614 €529

81.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K €19.6K

$16.0K €13.8K

42.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 €92.5

$105 €90.1

2.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.48 €41.73

$42.06 €36.21

15.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 €100

$94.0 €80.9

23.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 €129

$120 €103

25.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,318 €1,135

$1,628 €1,401

-19.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,066 €918

$1,255 €1,081

-15.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,318 €1,996

$3,030 €2,609

-23.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,804 €1,553

$2,020 €1,739

-10.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,112 €4,401

$7,800 €6,715

-34.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,902 €3,360

$4,273 €3,678

-8.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,338 €2,874

$1,603 €1,380

108.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

3.81

-4.20%

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

Last update for Brussels: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,318 in Brussels and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 108% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $93.0 in Brussels vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

Brussels vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Brussels. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Brussels pays 108% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,318 in Brussels versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $93.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,210 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Brussels 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.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.