Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Emmen and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Emmen: $1,892 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Emmen, Netherlands
Lisbon, Portugal
Emmen
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$1,892
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $1,892 per month in Emmen vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Emmen $1,892
  • Lisbon $2,210

A couple spends around $2,917 per month in Emmen vs $3,275 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Emmen $2,917
  • Lisbon $3,275

A family of three spends $3,942 per month in Emmen vs $4,341 in Lisbon, rent included.

  • Emmen $3,942
  • Lisbon $4,341

Emmen is about 14% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Emmen and Lisbon sit above the global median – Emmen by 39%, Lisbon by 62%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Emmen
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.22 €19.83
$16.65 €14.85
33.45%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.1 €73.2
$61.7 €55.1
32.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.56 €12.10
$11.36 €10.13
19.37%
Cappuccino
$3.41 €3.04
$2.97 €2.65
14.81%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.37 €3.01
$2.29 €2.04
47.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.38 €3.01
$1.74 €1.55
94.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.72 €5.11
$3.40 €3.04
68.24%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.36 €3.89
$3.31 €2.95
31.72%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Emmen
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.03 €0.92
$1.16 €1.03
-11.21%
White Bread (500g)
$2.21 €1.97
$1.91 €1.71
15.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.75 €2.45
$1.51 €1.35
82.12%
Eggs
$4.35 €3.88
$4.02 €3.59
8.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.94 €10.65
$12.94 €11.54
-7.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.73 €11.35
$7.77 €6.94
63.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.42 €14.65
$17.76 €15.85
-7.55%
Apples (1kg)
$2.61 €2.33
$2.30 €2.06
13.48%
Banana (1kg)
$2.43 €2.17
$1.73 €1.55
40.46%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.80 €1.61
$1.86 €1.66
-3.23%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.20 €2.86
$2.59 €2.31
23.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.81 €1.62
$1.82 €1.62
-0.55%
Onion (1kg)
$1.85 €1.65
$1.97 €1.76
-6.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 €1.06
$1.47 €1.31
-19.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.70 €0.62
$0.72 €0.65
-2.78%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.34 €11.01
$6.58 €5.87
87.54%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.52 €5.81
$5.61 €5.00
16.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.36 €1.22
-6.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.63 €2.35
$2.14 €1.91
22.90%
🚌 Getting Around
Emmen
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.19 €1.95
$2.33 €2.08
-6.01%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.68 €39.86
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$8.33 €7.43
$3.85 €3.43
116.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.99 €1.77
$1.07 €0.95
85.98%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$22.02 €19.65
$16.46 €14.69
33.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.36 €2.11
$2.20 €1.96
7.27%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$42.0K €37.5K
$34.2K €30.5K
22.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.8K €35.5K
$38.7K €34.5K
2.66%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Emmen
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$166 €148
$161 €144
2.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.60 €16.60
$18.41 €16.43
1.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$54.8 €48.93
$32.74 €29.21
67.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Emmen
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.08 €36.65
$44.55 €39.74
-7.79%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.11 €19.73
$19.10 €17.04
15.76%
Cinema Ticket
$13.21 €11.79
$9.60 €8.56
37.60%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Emmen
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,653 €2,367
$668 €596
297.30%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,951 €7,094
$17.6K €15.7K
-54.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Emmen
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$77.3 €69.0
$102 €91.0
-24.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.60 €36.22
$44.46 €39.67
-8.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.2 €78.7
$98.5 €87.9
-10.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$102 €91.1
$124 €110
-17.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Emmen
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$878 €783
$1,608 €1,435
-45.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$789 €704
$1,190 €1,062
-33.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,674 €1,493
$2,812 €2,509
-40.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,367 €1,219
$2,013 €1,796
-32.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,839 €6,994
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$4,576 €4,082
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Emmen
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,753 €2,456
$1,575 €1,405
74.80%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.65
3.85
-5.19%

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

Last update for Emmen: 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
Emmen
$789
Lisbon
$1.2K 50.9% $401
Eating Out
Emmen
$324
Lisbon
$243 25.1% $81
Groceries & Markets
Emmen
$307
Lisbon
$272 11.4% $35
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Emmen
$239
Lisbon
$212 11.3% $27
Clothing & Footwear
Emmen
$139
Lisbon
$166 19.6% $27
Sport & Entertainment
Emmen
$68
Lisbon
$64 5.6% $3.8
Getting Around
Emmen
$27 *
Lisbon
$63 134% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $878 in Emmen versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 75% higher in Emmen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 in Emmen versus $62 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $307 vs $272 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Emmen
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
01:01 1:01 AM
00:01 12:01 AM
1 h behind Emmen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
108,765
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Emmen Lisbon 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Emmen
  • 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
Emmen vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Emmen and in Lisbon compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $1,892 in Emmen, $2,210 in Lisbon – Emmen comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.
What salary covers living expenses in Emmen compared to Lisbon?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,839 per month in Emmen and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Emmen and Lisbon?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Emmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $878 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $82 in Emmen and $62 in Lisbon. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
How far does $3,000 go in Emmen compared to Lisbon?
$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $1,892 in Emmen and $2,210 in Lisbon, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
How does quality of life compare between Emmen and Lisbon?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,892 in Emmen to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Emmen or Lisbon safer for residents?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

Emmen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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