Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chemnitz and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Chemnitz: $1,887 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

92

Cost of Living Index in Chemnitz
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Chemnitz Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Chemnitz

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,887

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,887 per month in Chemnitz vs $2,223 in Lisbon, rent included.

Chemnitz $1,887
Lisbon $2,223

A couple spends around $2,800 per month in Chemnitz vs $3,271 in Lisbon, rent included.

Chemnitz $2,800
Lisbon $3,271

A family of three spends $3,713 per month in Chemnitz vs $4,319 in Lisbon, rent included.

Chemnitz $3,713
Lisbon $4,319

Chemnitz is about 15% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Chemnitz and Lisbon sit above the global median – Chemnitz by 40%, Lisbon by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.82 €14.96

$16.50 €14.67

1.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.3 €58.1

$61.3 €54.5

6.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.81 €11.39

$11.27 €10.02

13.66%

Cappuccino

$4.25 €3.78

$3.06 €2.72

38.89%

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

$3.79 €3.37

$2.26 €2.01

67.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 €2.81

$1.73 €1.54

82.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 €4.02

$3.39 €3.02

33.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 €2.92

$3.40 €3.02

-3.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.12 €1.00

20.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.49 €2.21

$1.86 €1.65

33.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.96 €3.53

$1.53 €1.36

158.82%

Eggs

$3.43 €3.05

$3.96 €3.53

-13.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.35 €12.77

$12.76 €11.35

12.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.03 €8.92

$7.90 €7.02

26.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.20 €19.74

$16.97 €15.09

30.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.28 €2.91

$2.27 €2.02

44.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$1.75 €1.55

13.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 €1.78

$1.85 €1.64

8.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 €3.57

$2.57 €2.28

56.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.34

$1.86 €1.65

-18.82%

Onion (1kg)

$1.43 €1.27

$2.02 €1.80

-29.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 €1.35

$1.44 €1.28

5.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.24

$0.82 €0.73

69.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 €8.60

$6.56 €5.83

47.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.41 €4.81

$5.62 €5.00

-3.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €0.99

$1.28 €1.14

-12.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.07 €1.84

-29.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.44 €3.06

$2.35 €2.09

46.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.0 €61.3

$44.18 €39.29

56.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$3.99 €3.55

-4.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 €1.50

$1.09 €0.97

55.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.79 €30.05

$16.64 €14.80

103.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.89

$2.28 €2.03

-6.58%

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

$33.3K €29.6K

$33.7K €30.0K

-1.25%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$39.3K €34.9K

-2.62%

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

$321 €286

$167 €149

91.75%

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

$23.74 €21.11

$18.80 €16.72

26.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.49 €36.01

$33.09 €29.43

22.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.27 €28.70

$46.01 €40.92

-29.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.42 €19.05

$19.19 €17.07

11.62%

Cinema Ticket

$21.11 €18.78

$9.84 €8.75

114.53%

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

$301 €267

$677 €602

-55.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,257 €6,454

$16.9K €15.0K

-57.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$116 €103

$101 €90.0

14.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.59 €38.77

$45.76 €40.70

-4.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 €101

$100.0 €88.9

13.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €110

$123 €109

0.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$397 €353

$1,614 €1,435

-75.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$540 €480

$1,197 €1,065

-54.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,003 €892

$2,862 €2,545

-64.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$865 €769

$1,990 €1,770

-56.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,996 €1,776

$7,577 €6,739

-73.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,260 €1,120

$4,307 €3,831

-70.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,816 €2,505

$1,588 €1,412

77.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.98

3.85

3.38%

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

Last update for Chemnitz: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chemnitz

$540 28.6%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 122% $657

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chemnitz

$385 20.4%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 43.1% $166

Groceries & Markets

Chemnitz

$334 17.7%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 19.2% $64

Eating Out

Chemnitz

$281 14.9%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 13.8% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Chemnitz

$178 9.5%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 6.7% $12

Getting Around

Chemnitz

$95 5%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 33.6% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Chemnitz

$75 4%

Lisbon

$66 3% 11.8% $8.8

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $397 in Chemnitz 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 77% higher in Chemnitz, 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 $65.0 in Chemnitz versus $61.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $334 vs $269 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Chemnitz

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

21:59 9:59 PM

20:59 8:59 PM

1 h behind Chemnitz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

243,089

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

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Between locations

Chemnitz Lisbon 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

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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

Chemnitz vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 18% more than Chemnitz, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,831 per month in Chemnitz 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 Chemnitz, 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 $1,887 in Chemnitz and $2,223 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 18%.

Public transport costs about 56% less in Chemnitz. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Chemnitz, where all-in costs run around $1,887, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Chemnitz it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chemnitz costs $1,887 versus $2,223 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Chemnitz. 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.