Cost of Living Comparison Between Dortmund and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Dortmund and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,139 in Dortmund versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,292 in Dortmund versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,446 in Dortmund versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Dortmund costs roughly 3% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dortmund 60% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.31 €14.89

$15.91 €13.69

8.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 €53.7

$64.8 €55.7

-3.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.90 €11.10

$10.51 €9.04

22.74%

Cappuccino

$3.69 €3.17

$2.87 €2.47

28.57%

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

$2.95 €2.54

$2.24 €1.93

31.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 €2.37

$1.50 €1.29

83.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €4.94

$3.49 €3.00

64.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.42

$3.88 €3.34

2.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.01

$1.14 €0.98

3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$2.30 €1.98

$1.75 €1.51

31.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 €2.90

$1.76 €1.51

91.48%

Eggs

$3.93 €3.38

$3.22 €2.77

22.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.03 €12.93

$13.49 €11.61

11.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.54 €12.51

$7.91 €6.81

83.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.98 €16.33

$15.87 €13.65

19.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 €2.91

$2.31 €1.99

46.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 €1.63

$1.70 €1.46

11.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.43 €2.09

$2.01 €1.73

20.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 €4.33

$2.46 €2.12

104.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.55

$1.84 €1.59

-2.17%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 €1.61

$2.00 €1.72

-6.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.93 €1.66

4.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.92

$0.79 €0.68

35.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.75 €8.38

$6.61 €5.68

47.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.01 €6.03

$5.72 €4.92

22.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.05 €0.91

$1.37 €1.17

-23.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.46

$2.97 €2.56

-43.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.78 €3.25

$2.37 €2.04

59.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.3 €52.7

$45.56 €39.19

34.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.85 €5.04

$4.29 €3.69

36.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.02 €1.74

$0.82 €0.70

146.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$70.2 €60.4

$18.30 €15.74

283.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.79

$2.06 €1.78

0.97%

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

$30.9K €26.6K

$34.3K €29.5K

-9.80%

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

$38.7K €33.3K

$39.3K €33.8K

-1.55%

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

$435 €374

$148 €127

194.39%

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

$36.08 €31.04

$20.52 €17.65

75.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 €48.19

$39.61 €34.08

41.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.09 €38.79

$47.85 €41.16

-5.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.87 €19.67

$18.92 €16.28

20.88%

Cinema Ticket

$17.59 €15.13

$9.18 €7.90

91.61%

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

$421 €362

$614 €528

-31.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.1K €25.1K

$16.0K €13.8K

81.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.5 €81.3

$105 €90.0

-9.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.26 €38.07

$42.06 €36.18

5.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €92.3

$94.0 €80.8

14.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$179 €154

$120 €103

49.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$784 €674

$1,628 €1,400

-51.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$619 €533

$1,255 €1,080

-50.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,330 €1,144

$3,030 €2,607

-56.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,376 €1,184

$2,020 €1,738

-31.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,139 €2,700

$7,800 €6,709

-59.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,337 €2,010

$4,273 €3,675

-45.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,376 €2,904

$1,603 €1,379

110.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.98

3.81

4.46%

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

Last update for Dortmund: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $784 in Dortmund and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dortmund pays 111% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Dortmund vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $355 vs $269, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Dortmund vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dortmund and Lisbon differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,139 vs $2,210 including rent). Dortmund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Dortmund pays 111% 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: $784 in Dortmund versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dortmund – a meal for two runs $62.0 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,139 per month in Dortmund versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,139 in Dortmund versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dortmund but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Dortmund the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dortmund delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,139 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dortmund hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Dortmund 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 Dortmund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.