Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Diest and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Diest: $2,081 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

100

Cost of Living Index in Diest
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Diest Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Diest

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,081

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,081 in Diest versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Diest $2,081
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,067 in Diest versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Diest $3,067
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,053 in Diest versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Diest $4,053
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Diest costs roughly 6% less than in Lisbon.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Diest 53% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.59 €20.30

$16.65 €14.96

35.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.9 €78.0

$61.7 €55.5

40.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 €10.74

$11.36 €10.20

5.28%

Cappuccino

$3.44 €3.09

$2.97 €2.67

15.82%

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

$2.98 €2.68

$2.29 €2.06

30.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 €2.79

$1.74 €1.56

78.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.32 €4.78

$3.40 €3.06

56.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 €3.92

$3.31 €2.97

32.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.30 €1.17

$1.16 €1.04

12.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 €2.46

$1.91 €1.72

42.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.21 €1.99

$1.51 €1.36

46.36%

Eggs

$3.73 €3.35

$4.02 €3.61

-7.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.58 €14.00

$12.94 €11.62

20.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.12 €10.89

$7.77 €6.99

55.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.60 €17.61

$17.76 €15.96

10.36%

Apples (1kg)

$2.71 €2.43

$2.30 €2.07

17.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.73 €1.56

27.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 €2.29

$1.86 €1.67

37.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.80 €2.52

$2.59 €2.33

8.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.95

$1.82 €1.64

19.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 €1.62

$1.97 €1.77

-8.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.94 €0.85

$0.72 €0.65

30.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.09 €10.86

$6.58 €5.92

83.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.26 €7.42

$5.61 €5.04

47.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 €1.83

$1.36 €1.22

49.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.89

$2.14 €1.92

-1.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.18 €2.85

$2.33 €2.10

36.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.83 €42.97

$44.68 €40.14

7.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.49 €4.94

$3.85 €3.46

42.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 €2.28

$1.07 €0.96

137.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.88 €26.85

$16.46 €14.79

81.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.95 €1.75

$2.20 €1.98

-11.36%

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

$34.7K €31.2K

$34.2K €30.7K

1.45%

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

$36.4K €32.7K

$38.7K €34.8K

-6.04%

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

$213 €191

$161 €145

31.87%

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

$20.73 €18.63

$18.41 €16.54

12.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.4 €45.26

$32.74 €29.41

53.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.45 €32.75

$44.55 €40.03

-18.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.39 €17.42

$19.10 €17.16

1.52%

Cinema Ticket

$14.36 €12.91

$9.60 €8.62

49.58%

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

$777 €698

$668 €600

16.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.7K €19.5K

$17.6K €15.8K

22.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €92.2

$102 €91.7

0.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.60 €43.66

$44.46 €39.95

9.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €92.3

$98.5 €88.5

4.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 €132

$124 €111

18.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$939 €844

$1,608 €1,445

-41.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 €733

$1,190 €1,069

-31.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,365 €1,227

$2,812 €2,527

-51.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 €1,040

$2,013 €1,809

-42.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,153 €3,731

$7,839 €7,043

-47.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,919 €2,623

$4,576 €4,111

-36.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,140 €1,923

$1,575 €1,415

35.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.53

3.85

-8.31%

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

Last update for Diest: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Diest

$816 39.2%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 45.9% $374

Groceries & Markets

Diest

$339 16.3%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 19.8% $67

Eating Out

Diest

$318 15.3%

Lisbon

$243 11% 23.6% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Diest

$284 13.6%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 25.2% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Diest

$180 8.7%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 8% $14

Getting Around

Diest

$79 3.8%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 19.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Diest

$65 3.1%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 2.2% $1.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $939 in Diest and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Diest pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $87 in Diest vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Diest

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

15:01 3:01 PM

14:01 2:01 PM

1 h behind Diest

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,516

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Diest Lisbon 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Diest
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

Diest vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 36% higher in Diest, 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: $939 in Diest versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 7% less than in Diest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $777 in Diest versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Diest is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Diest 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.