Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Darmstadt and Lisbon

For one person, living costs are similar in Darmstadt and in Lisbon: $2,255 and $2,210 a month, rent and utilities included.

Darmstadt, Germany
Lisbon, Portugal
Darmstadt
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,255
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,255 per month in Darmstadt vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Darmstadt $2,255
  • Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $3,478 per month in Darmstadt vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Darmstadt $3,478
  • Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $4,701 per month in Darmstadt vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Darmstadt $4,701
  • Lisbon $4,341

Darmstadt and Lisbon have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Darmstadt and Lisbon sit above the global median – Darmstadt by 66%, Lisbon by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Darmstadt
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.50 €20.16
$16.65 €14.92
35.14%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$65.8 €59.0
$61.7 €55.3
6.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.17 €11.81
$11.36 €10.18
15.93%
Cappuccino
$4.00 €3.59
$2.97 €2.66
34.68%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 €2.09
$2.29 €2.05
2.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 €1.92
$1.74 €1.56
23.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.67 €5.08
$3.40 €3.05
66.76%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.47 €4.90
$3.31 €2.97
65.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Darmstadt
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.48 €1.33
$1.16 €1.04
27.59%
White Bread (500g)
$2.25 €2.02
$1.91 €1.71
17.80%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.85 €3.45
$1.51 €1.36
154.97%
Eggs
$4.24 €3.80
$4.02 €3.60
5.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.13 €14.45
$12.94 €11.59
24.65%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.73 €9.62
$7.77 €6.97
38.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$26.42 €23.68
$17.76 €15.92
48.76%
Apples (1kg)
$3.39 €3.04
$2.30 €2.06
47.39%
Banana (1kg)
$2.31 €2.07
$1.73 €1.55
33.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.14 €1.92
$1.86 €1.66
15.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.88 €3.48
$2.59 €2.32
49.81%
Potato (1kg)
$1.20 €1.07
$1.82 €1.63
-34.07%
Onion (1kg)
$1.09 €0.98
$1.97 €1.76
-44.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.47 €1.32
-
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.30 €1.16
$0.72 €0.65
80.56%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.44 €8.46
$6.58 €5.90
43.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.50 €4.93
$5.61 €5.02
-1.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 €1.08
$1.36 €1.22
-11.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.57 €1.41
$2.14 €1.91
-26.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Darmstadt
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.32 €2.98
$2.33 €2.09
42.49%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.7 €64.2
$44.68 €40.04
60.36%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.69 €5.10
$3.85 €3.45
47.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.21 €1.98
$1.07 €0.96
106.54%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$38.70 €34.68
$16.46 €14.75
135.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.16 €1.93
$2.20 €1.97
-1.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.8K €29.4K
$34.2K €30.6K
-4.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.9K €34.0K
$38.7K €34.7K
-2.06%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Darmstadt
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$341 €306
$161 €144
111.57%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.19 €28.84
$18.41 €16.50
74.85%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$52.2 €46.73
$32.74 €29.34
59.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Darmstadt
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.28 €36.10
$44.55 €39.92
-9.58%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$50.9 €45.57
$19.10 €17.11
166.23%
Cinema Ticket
$10.73 €9.62
$9.60 €8.60
11.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Darmstadt
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,070 €959
$668 €598
60.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$43.6K €39.0K
$17.6K €15.8K
147.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Darmstadt
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$94.4 €84.6
$102 €91.4
-7.43%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$70.5 €63.2
$44.46 €39.85
58.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$125 €112
$98.5 €88.3
26.79%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$149 €134
$124 €111
20.72%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Darmstadt
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,005 €900
$1,608 €1,441
-37.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$787 €705
$1,190 €1,066
-33.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,155 €1,931
$2,812 €2,520
-23.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,578 €1,414
$2,013 €1,804
-21.63%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$6,085 €5,453
$7,839 €7,025
-22.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,334 €3,884
$4,576 €4,100
-5.28%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Darmstadt
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,509 €3,144
$1,575 €1,411
122.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.03
3.85
4.68%

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

Last update for Darmstadt: October 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Darmstadt
$787
Lisbon
$1.2K 51.3% $403
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Darmstadt
$425
Lisbon
$212 50.1% $213
Groceries & Markets
Darmstadt
$357
Lisbon
$272 23.8% $85
Eating Out
Darmstadt
$325
Lisbon
$243 25.3% $82
Clothing & Footwear
Darmstadt
$198
Lisbon
$166 16% $32
Getting Around
Darmstadt
$102
Lisbon
$63 37.8% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Darmstadt
$62
Lisbon
$64 3.2% $2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,005 in Darmstadt versus $1,608 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 in Darmstadt are about 2.2 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $66 in Darmstadt versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $272 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Darmstadt
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
10:08 10:08 AM
09:08 9:08 AM
1 h behind Darmstadt
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
169,255
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Darmstadt Lisbon 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Darmstadt
  • 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
Darmstadt vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,383 per month in Darmstadt and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Darmstadt, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $1,005 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
How do food prices compare in Darmstadt and in Lisbon?
Groceries cost about 31% more in Darmstadt, though the gap depends on what you buy.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,070 per month in Darmstadt and $668 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $3,000 enough for either Darmstadt or Lisbon?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,255 in Darmstadt and $2,210 in Lisbon, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Darmstadt or in Lisbon?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,210 in Lisbon to $2,255 in Darmstadt. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Darmstadt or Lisbon?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Darmstadt makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Darmstadt vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?