Cost of Living Comparison Between Drachten and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Drachten and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,028 in Drachten versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,907 in Drachten versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,787 in Drachten versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Drachten costs roughly 11% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Drachten 52% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.48 €16.17

$16.19 €14.17

14.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 €63.9

$63.3 €55.4

15.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.94 €11.32

$10.32 €9.03

25.39%

Cappuccino

$3.37 €2.95

$2.83 €2.48

19.08%

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

$3.08 €2.70

$2.29 €2.00

34.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 €2.24

$1.58 €1.38

62.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 €4.96

$3.40 €2.98

66.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.07 €3.56

$4.03 €3.52

0.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.08

$1.09 €0.95

12.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.39 €1.22

$1.75 €1.53

-20.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.66 €1.46

$1.76 €1.54

-5.68%

Eggs

$4.75 €4.16

$3.17 €2.77

49.84%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.64 €11.94

$13.19 €11.54

3.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.74 €12.02

$7.97 €6.97

72.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.82 €11.22

$15.53 €13.59

-17.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.41 €2.11

$2.37 €2.07

1.69%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.21

$1.71 €1.49

47.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.70

$2.01 €1.76

-3.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 €2.89

$2.43 €2.13

35.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.76 €1.54

-0.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.60 €1.40

$2.03 €1.78

-21.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.28 €1.12

$1.92 €1.68

-33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.68 €0.59

$0.85 €0.74

-20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.51 €8.32

$6.58 €5.76

44.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.87 €6.01

$5.58 €4.88

23.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.33 €1.17

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 €2.47

$2.97 €2.60

-5.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 €3.44

$2.28 €1.99

72.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.21 €39.55

$45.79 €40.06

-1.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.28 €3.74

$4.23 €3.70

1.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.61 €2.28

$0.81 €0.71

222.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$51.5 €45.08

$18.44 €16.13

179.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.21 €1.93

$2.08 €1.82

6.25%

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

$44.8K €39.2K

$34.7K €30.3K

29.13%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$39.2K €34.3K

-0.35%

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

$265 €232

$148 €130

79.21%

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

$30.25 €26.46

$20.46 €17.90

47.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.7 €46.06

$39.56 €34.61

33.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.6 €50.4

$47.99 €41.99

20.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.25 €20.34

$18.60 €16.27

25.00%

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 €13.24

$9.22 €8.07

64.10%

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

$1,871 €1,637

$616 €539

203.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,225 €5,446

$16.4K €14.4K

-62.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.2 €79.8

$103 €89.9

-11.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.39 €40.59

$41.74 €36.52

11.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.8 €75.1

$94.8 €82.9

-9.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$90.3 €79.0

$122 €107

-26.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$922 €807

$1,633 €1,428

-43.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$739 €647

$1,232 €1,078

-39.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 €1,231

$3,098 €2,711

-54.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,048 €916

$2,031 €1,777

-48.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,567 €3,996

$7,831 €6,851

-41.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,473 €3,038

$4,389 €3,840

-20.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,616 €2,288

$1,607 €1,406

62.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.25

3.81

-14.70%

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

Last update for Drachten: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $922 in Drachten and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Drachten pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $73.0 in Drachten vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $267 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

Drachten vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drachten is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 13% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 63% higher in Drachten, 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: $922 in Drachten versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,871 in Drachten versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 12% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,028 in Drachten versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Drachten but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Drachten the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Drachten is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Drachten 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 Drachten gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.