Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Drachten and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,491 in Drachten, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Drachten, Netherlands
Lisbon, Portugal
Drachten
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,491
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,491 in Drachten versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Drachten $2,491
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,653 in Drachten versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Drachten $3,653
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,816 in Drachten versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Drachten $4,816
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Drachten is roughly 13% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Drachten 83% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Drachten
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.29 €21.82
$16.65 €14.95
45.89%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.4 €75.9
$61.7 €55.5
36.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.49 €12.12
$11.36 €10.20
18.75%
Cappuccino
$4.02 €3.61
$2.97 €2.67
35.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.76 €3.38
$2.29 €2.06
64.19%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 €2.82
$1.74 €1.56
80.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.56 €4.99
$3.40 €3.06
63.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.71 €5.13
$3.31 €2.97
72.51%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Drachten
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.05
$1.16 €1.04
0.86%
White Bread (500g)
$1.35 €1.21
$1.91 €1.72
-29.32%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.38
$1.51 €1.36
1.99%
Eggs
$5.04 €4.52
$4.02 €3.61
25.37%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.60 €11.32
$12.94 €11.62
-2.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.58 €12.20
$7.77 €6.98
74.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$12.14 €10.90
$17.76 €15.95
-31.64%
Apples (1kg)
$1.89 €1.70
$2.30 €2.07
-17.83%
Banana (1kg)
$2.40 €2.15
$1.73 €1.56
38.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.87 €1.68
$1.86 €1.67
0.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.06 €2.75
$2.59 €2.33
18.15%
Potato (1kg)
$1.65 €1.48
$1.82 €1.64
-9.34%
Onion (1kg)
$1.53 €1.37
$1.97 €1.77
-22.34%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.24 €1.12
$1.47 €1.32
-15.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.69 €0.62
$0.72 €0.65
-4.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.17 €8.24
$6.58 €5.91
39.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.66 €5.99
$5.61 €5.04
18.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.49 €1.34
$1.36 €1.22
9.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.64 €2.37
$2.14 €1.92
23.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Drachten
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.66 €3.29
$2.33 €2.10
57.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$89.6 €80.5
$44.68 €40.14
100.47%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.16 €3.74
$3.85 €3.46
8.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.21 €2.89
$1.07 €0.96
200.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$49.57 €44.53
$16.46 €14.79
201.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.25 €2.02
$2.20 €1.98
2.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$41.0K €36.8K
$34.2K €30.7K
19.96%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$37.5K €33.7K
$38.7K €34.8K
-3.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Drachten
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$277 €249
$161 €145
71.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$23.94 €21.50
$18.41 €16.54
30.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$49.81 €44.74
$32.74 €29.41
52.14%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Drachten
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.38 €37.17
$44.55 €40.02
-7.12%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$26.42 €23.73
$19.10 €17.16
38.32%
Cinema Ticket
$16.14 €14.50
$9.60 €8.62
68.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Drachten
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,362 €2,122
$668 €600
253.82%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,090 €7,267
$17.6K €15.8K
-54.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Drachten
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$59.1 €53.1
$102 €91.6
-42.05%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.01 €39.53
$44.46 €39.94
-1.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$89.3 €80.2
$98.5 €88.5
-9.32%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$134 €120
$124 €111
8.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Drachten
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,436 €1,290
$1,608 €1,445
-10.72%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,158 €1,040
$1,190 €1,069
-2.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,345 €2,107
$2,812 €2,526
-16.61%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,871 €1,680
$2,013 €1,808
-7.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,630 €5,058
$7,839 €7,042
-28.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,529 €4,068
$4,576 €4,110
-1.02%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Drachten
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,606 €2,341
$1,575 €1,415
65.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.3
3.85
11.69%

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

Last update for Drachten: 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
Drachten
$1.2K
Lisbon
$1.2K 2.7% $32
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Drachten
$350
Lisbon
$212 39.4% $138
Eating Out
Drachten
$350
Lisbon
$243 30.7% $107
Groceries & Markets
Drachten
$288
Lisbon
$272 5.3% $15
Clothing & Footwear
Drachten
$147
Lisbon
$166 12.9% $19
Getting Around
Drachten
$124
Lisbon
$63 49.2% $61
Sport & Entertainment
Drachten
$74
Lisbon
$64 13.5% $9.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,436 in Drachten and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Drachten pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $84 in Drachten vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $288 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Drachten
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
02:21 2:21 AM
01:21 1:21 AM
1 h behind Drachten
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
45,186
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Drachten Lisbon 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Drachten
  • 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
Drachten vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lisbon cheaper than Drachten?
Lisbon is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Drachten or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 65% higher in Drachten, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
What is the rent difference between Drachten and Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,436 in Drachten versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Childcare runs $2,362 in Drachten versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do food prices compare in Drachten and in Lisbon?
Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Drachten. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Is $3,000 enough for either Drachten or Lisbon?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Is it better to live in Drachten or in Lisbon?
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.
Which city is safer, Drachten or Lisbon?
Safety-wise, Drachten and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Drachten on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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