Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,203 a month against $2,563 in Frankfurt, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Frankfurt
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Frankfurt Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Frankfurt

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,563

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,203

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,563 in Frankfurt versus $2,203 in Lisbon.

Frankfurt $2,563
Lisbon $2,203

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,752 in Frankfurt versus $3,237 in Lisbon.

Frankfurt $3,752
Lisbon $3,237

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,941 in Frankfurt versus $4,272 in Lisbon.

Frankfurt $4,941
Lisbon $4,272

Living in Frankfurt is roughly 16% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 91% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.79 €14.99

$17.01 €15.18

-1.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 €80.9

$62.7 €56.0

44.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.54 €12.08

$11.42 €10.19

18.56%

Cappuccino

$4.45 €3.97

$3.09 €2.76

44.01%

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

$3.90 €3.48

$2.37 €2.11

64.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 €3.15

$1.66 €1.48

113.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.50 €4.91

$3.46 €3.09

58.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 €4.94

$3.29 €2.93

68.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.17 €1.04

17.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.22 €1.98

$1.87 €1.66

18.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 €2.81

$1.52 €1.36

107.24%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.58

$3.88 €3.46

3.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.87 €12.38

$12.87 €11.49

7.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.15 €10.84

$7.94 €7.08

53.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.03 €19.66

$17.63 €15.73

24.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.17 €2.83

$2.26 €2.01

40.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.76 €1.57

21.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.95 €1.74

$1.88 €1.68

3.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.95 €3.52

$2.47 €2.20

59.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.86 €1.66

-3.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 €1.75

$2.07 €1.85

-5.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.64 €1.47

$1.39 €1.24

17.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 €0.93

$0.81 €0.73

28.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.62 €8.59

$6.89 €6.15

39.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.63 €5.03

$5.53 €4.93

1.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.33 €1.19

-15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.25

$2.17 €1.93

-35.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.23 €3.77

$2.24 €2.00

88.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 €62.4

$45.14 €40.29

54.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.37 €3.90

$4.00 €3.57

9.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 €2.02

$1.07 €0.95

111.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.31 €20.80

$16.53 €14.75

41.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.26 €2.02

2.65%

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

$33.4K €29.8K

$33.5K €29.9K

-0.31%

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

$38.9K €34.7K

$40.5K €36.1K

-3.88%

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

$393 €351

$164 €146

140.10%

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

$19.87 €17.73

$18.54 €16.55

7.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.70 €42.57

$33.21 €29.64

43.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.7 €60.4

$46.01 €41.06

47.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.06 €26.82

$18.80 €16.78

59.89%

Cinema Ticket

$16.65 €14.85

$9.47 €8.45

75.82%

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

$1,102 €983

$690 €615

59.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.7K €20.2K

$16.9K €15.0K

34.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.6 €79.0

$105 €93.4

-15.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.20 €30.52

$45.27 €40.40

-24.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 €76.5

$99.0 €88.3

-13.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 €95.4

$124 €111

-13.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,337 €1,193

$1,583 €1,413

-15.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,110 €991

$1,209 €1,079

-8.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,743 €2,448

$2,833 €2,528

-3.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,927 €1,720

$1,964 €1,753

-1.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,889 €7,040

$7,643 €6,821

3.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,330 €3,865

$4,431 €3,954

-2.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,129 €3,685

$1,573 €1,403

162.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.61

3.79

-4.75%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: October 4, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Frankfurt

$1.1K 43.5%

Lisbon

$1.2K 54% 8.9% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Frankfurt

$460 18.1%

Lisbon

$215 9.6% 53.2% $245

Groceries & Markets

Frankfurt

$337 13.2%

Lisbon

$272 12.1% 19.4% $65

Eating Out

Frankfurt

$297 11.6%

Lisbon

$247 11% 16.6% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Frankfurt

$142 5.6%

Lisbon

$168 7.5% 18.2% $26

Getting Around

Frankfurt

$103 4%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 38.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Frankfurt

$101 4%

Lisbon

$65 2.9% 35.7% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,337 in Frankfurt and $1,583 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Frankfurt pays 163% 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: $91.0 in Frankfurt vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Frankfurt

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

15:05 3:05 PM

14:05 2:05 PM

1 h behind Frankfurt

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

701,350

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Frankfurt Lisbon 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Frankfurt
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

Frankfurt vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. The 16% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 163% higher in Frankfurt, 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: $1,337 in Frankfurt versus $1,583 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 $63.0 versus $91.0 in Frankfurt. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,563 per month in Frankfurt versus $2,203 in Lisbon – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,203 in Lisbon versus $2,563 in Frankfurt, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Frankfurt. 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 Frankfurt, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Frankfurt 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 16% less than in Frankfurt. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.