Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dusseldorf and Lisbon

For one person, living costs are similar in Dusseldorf and in Lisbon: $2,285 and $2,223 a month, rent and utilities included.

111

Cost of Living Index in Dusseldorf
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Dusseldorf Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Dusseldorf

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,285

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,285 in Dusseldorf versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Dusseldorf $2,285
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,476 in Dusseldorf versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Dusseldorf $3,476
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,668 in Dusseldorf versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Dusseldorf $4,668
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Dusseldorf is roughly 3% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dusseldorf 69% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.41 €14.60

$16.50 €14.67

-0.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 €62.6

$61.3 €54.5

14.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.53 €12.03

$11.27 €10.03

20.05%

Cappuccino

$4.23 €3.76

$3.06 €2.72

38.24%

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

$3.09 €2.75

$2.26 €2.01

36.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.59

$1.73 €1.54

68.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.12 €4.55

$3.39 €3.02

51.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.40 €3.91

$3.40 €3.02

29.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.17

$1.12 €1.00

17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$2.39 €2.13

$1.86 €1.65

28.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$1.53 €1.36

95.42%

Eggs

$4.33 €3.85

$3.96 €3.53

9.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 €13.43

$12.76 €11.35

18.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.05 €11.61

$7.90 €7.02

65.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.49 €20.00

$16.97 €15.09

32.53%

Apples (1kg)

$3.18 €2.83

$2.27 €2.02

40.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.17 €1.93

$1.75 €1.55

24.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.85 €1.64

15.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.23 €3.76

$2.57 €2.28

64.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.86 €1.65

-35.48%

Onion (1kg)

$1.21 €1.07

$2.02 €1.80

-40.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.46

$1.44 €1.28

13.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 €1.11

$0.82 €0.73

52.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.42 €8.38

$6.56 €5.83

43.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.65 €5.91

$5.62 €5.00

18.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.99

$1.28 €1.14

-13.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.52

$2.07 €1.84

-17.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.01 €3.57

$2.35 €2.09

70.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.6 €61.9

$44.18 €39.30

57.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 €4.86

$3.99 €3.55

36.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.04 €2.71

$1.09 €0.97

178.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$47.97 €42.67

$16.64 €14.81

188.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.02

$2.28 €2.03

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

$32.6K €29.0K

$33.7K €30.0K

-3.31%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$39.3K €35.0K

-2.62%

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

$339 €302

$167 €149

102.60%

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

$19.47 €17.32

$18.80 €16.72

3.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.64 €37.04

$33.09 €29.43

25.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.15 €38.38

$46.01 €40.93

-6.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.20 €31.31

$19.19 €17.07

83.43%

Cinema Ticket

$15.91 €14.15

$9.84 €8.75

61.69%

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

$1,070 €952

$677 €602

58.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.7K €17.5K

$16.9K €15.1K

16.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.0

$101 €90.1

1.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.11 €36.57

$45.76 €40.70

-10.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 €100

$100.0 €88.9

12.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 €149

$123 €109

36.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,077 €958

$1,614 €1,436

-33.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$878 €781

$1,197 €1,065

-26.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,358 €2,097

$2,862 €2,545

-17.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,669 €1,485

$1,990 €1,770

-16.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,943 €7,955

$7,577 €6,740

18.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,892 €4,351

$4,307 €3,831

13.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,778 €3,360

$1,588 €1,412

137.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.91

3.85

1.56%

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

Last update for Dusseldorf: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dusseldorf

$878 38.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 36.3% $319

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dusseldorf

$400 17.5%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 45.2% $181

Groceries & Markets

Dusseldorf

$353 15.5%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 23.7% $83

Eating Out

Dusseldorf

$281 12.3%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 13.8% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Dusseldorf

$191 8.3%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 12.7% $24

Getting Around

Dusseldorf

$106 4.7%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 40.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Dusseldorf

$75 3.3%

Lisbon

$66 3% 12.4% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,077 in Dusseldorf and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dusseldorf pays 138% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $70.0 in Dusseldorf vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Dusseldorf

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

16:51 4:51 PM

1 h behind Dusseldorf

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

618,128

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Dusseldorf Lisbon 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

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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

Dusseldorf vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 138% higher in Dusseldorf, 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: $1,077 in Dusseldorf versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $70.0 in Dusseldorf. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,285 per month in Dusseldorf versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,285 in Dusseldorf, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Dusseldorf. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

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