Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Enschede and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,363 in Enschede, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Enschede despite lower rent and utilities.

115

Cost of Living Index in Enschede
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Enschede Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Enschede

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,363

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,363 in Enschede versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Enschede $2,363
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,680 in Enschede versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Enschede $3,680
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,996 in Enschede versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Enschede $4,996
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Enschede is roughly 7% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Enschede 74% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.35 €18.99

$17.04 €15.15

25.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 €71.1

$62.3 €55.4

28.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.56 €13.84

$11.02 €9.80

41.20%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.62

$3.12 €2.78

30.13%

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

$3.55 €3.16

$2.27 €2.02

56.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.88 €2.57

$1.74 €1.55

65.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.02 €5.35

$3.42 €3.04

76.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.31 €5.61

$3.74 €3.33

68.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.20

$1.17 €1.04

15.38%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 €2.22

$1.86 €1.66

34.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 €2.35

$1.54 €1.37

71.43%

Eggs

$4.39 €3.91

$4.06 €3.61

8.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.75 €12.23

$12.91 €11.49

6.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.53 €12.92

$7.90 €7.03

83.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.76 €13.13

$17.64 €15.69

-16.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$2.26 €2.01

19.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.75 €1.55

25.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.89 €1.68

15.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 €4.24

$2.56 €2.27

86.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 €2.77

$1.85 €1.64

68.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$1.97 €1.75

8.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.20 €1.06

$1.45 €1.29

-17.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.67

$0.77 €0.69

-1.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.10 €12.54

$6.71 €5.97

110.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.65 €5.91

$5.67 €5.04

17.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.37 €1.22

5.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.64

$2.11 €1.88

40.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.96 €2.64

$2.32 €2.07

27.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$113 €101

$44.43 €39.52

154.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.76 €3.34

$3.95 €3.51

-4.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.56 €2.28

$1.05 €0.93

143.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.53 €24.49

$17.15 €15.26

60.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.54 €2.26

$2.19 €1.95

15.98%

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

$41.9K €37.2K

$33.8K €30.0K

23.93%

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

$38.9K €34.6K

$38.3K €34.0K

1.66%

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

$262 €233

$164 €146

60.03%

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

$21.36 €19.00

$18.48 €16.43

15.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.78 €39.83

$32.96 €29.32

35.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.20 €30.42

$45.87 €40.80

-25.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.17 €21.50

$18.68 €16.61

29.39%

Cinema Ticket

$19.13 €17.02

$9.75 €8.67

96.21%

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

$1,198 €1,065

$684 €608

75.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,959 €7,079

$17.6K €15.7K

-54.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €83.1

$104 €92.3

-9.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.39 €33.26

$46.20 €41.09

-19.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 €81.5

$99.7 €88.7

-8.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 €89.7

$125 €111

-19.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,334 €1,187

$1,589 €1,414

-16.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 €892

$1,169 €1,040

-14.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,509 €2,232

$2,851 €2,536

-11.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 €1,774

$1,993 €1,773

0.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,629 €4,118

$7,793 €6,932

-40.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,233 €2,876

$4,418 €3,930

-26.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,857 €2,541

$1,600 €1,423

78.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.6

3.85

19.48%

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

Last update for Enschede: October 17, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Enschede

$1K 42.4%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 16.6% $167

Groceries & Markets

Enschede

$338 14.3%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 19.2% $65

Eating Out

Enschede

$335 14.2%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 26.1% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Enschede

$328 13.9%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 34.4% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Enschede

$145 6.2%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 15.8% $23

Getting Around

Enschede

$141 6%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 55.5% $79

Sport & Entertainment

Enschede

$72 3.1%

Lisbon

$65 3% 9.8% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,334 in Enschede and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Enschede pays 79% 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: $80.0 in Enschede vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Enschede

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

00:50 12:50 AM

23:50 11:50 PM

1 h behind Enschede

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

161,235

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Enschede Lisbon 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Enschede
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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

Enschede vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Enschede and Lisbon differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,363 vs $2,202 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 79% higher in Enschede, 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: $1,334 in Enschede versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,363 per month in Enschede versus $2,202 in Lisbon – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 154% less than in Enschede. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,363 in Enschede, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Enschede. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Enschede 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 7% less than in Enschede. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.