Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gent and Lisbon

For one person, living costs are similar in Gent and in Lisbon: $2,224 and $2,223 a month, rent and utilities included.

108

Cost of Living Index in Gent
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Gent Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Gent

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,224

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,224 per month in Gent vs $2,223 in Lisbon, rent included.

Gent $2,224
Lisbon $2,223

A couple spends around $3,455 per month in Gent vs $3,271 in Lisbon, rent included.

Gent $3,455
Lisbon $3,271

A family of three spends $4,686 per month in Gent vs $4,319 in Lisbon, rent included.

Gent $4,686
Lisbon $4,319

Gent and Lisbon have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Gent and Lisbon sit above the global median – Gent by 65%, Lisbon by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.97 €19.54

$16.50 €14.67

33.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$114 €101

$61.3 €54.5

85.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.65 €13.92

$11.27 €10.03

38.86%

Cappuccino

$4.31 €3.83

$3.06 €2.72

40.85%

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

$3.35 €2.98

$2.26 €2.01

48.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 €2.62

$1.73 €1.54

69.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 €5.01

$3.39 €3.02

66.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 €5.03

$3.40 €3.02

66.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.07

$1.12 €1.00

8.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 €2.52

$1.86 €1.65

52.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.53 €1.36

39.22%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.54

$3.96 €3.53

0.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.55 €16.50

$12.76 €11.35

45.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.36 €11.00

$7.90 €7.02

56.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.82 €17.63

$16.97 €15.09

16.79%

Apples (1kg)

$2.79 €2.48

$2.27 €2.02

22.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.41 €2.14

$1.75 €1.55

37.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$1.85 €1.64

37.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.94 €2.61

$2.57 €2.28

14.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 €1.89

$1.86 €1.65

14.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.73

$2.02 €1.80

-3.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 €1.21

$1.44 €1.28

-4.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.82 €0.73

30.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.04 €11.60

$6.56 €5.83

98.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.06 €8.06

$5.62 €5.00

61.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 €1.76

$1.28 €1.14

54.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 €2.19

$2.07 €1.84

19.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.28 €2.92

$2.35 €2.09

39.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 €52.8

$44.18 €39.30

34.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$11.25 €10.01

$3.99 €3.55

181.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.84 €2.53

$1.09 €0.97

160.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.5 €44.95

$16.64 €14.81

203.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.79

$2.28 €2.03

-11.84%

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

$34.8K €31.0K

$33.7K €30.0K

3.39%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$39.3K €35.0K

-14.08%

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

$219 €195

$167 €149

30.80%

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

$20.47 €18.21

$18.80 €16.72

8.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.05 €41.85

$33.09 €29.43

42.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.69 €31.74

$46.01 €40.93

-22.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.07 €11.63

$19.19 €17.07

-31.89%

Cinema Ticket

$15.73 €14.00

$9.84 €8.75

59.86%

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

$567 €504

$677 €602

-16.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K €18.6K

$16.9K €15.1K

23.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 €96.9

$101 €90.1

7.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.10

$45.76 €40.70

0.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €95.6

$100.0 €88.9

7.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 €134

$123 €109

22.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,059

$1,614 €1,436

-26.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$891 €792

$1,197 €1,065

-25.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,800 €1,601

$2,862 €2,545

-37.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,529 €1,360

$1,990 €1,770

-23.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,213 €4,637

$7,577 €6,740

-31.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,087 €2,746

$4,307 €3,831

-28.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,680 €3,274

$1,588 €1,412

131.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

3.85

-16.88%

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

Last update for Gent: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Gent

$891 40.1%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 34.4% $306

Groceries & Markets

Gent

$357 16%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 24.4% $87

Eating Out

Gent

$339 15.2%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 28.5% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gent

$287 12.9%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 23.5% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Gent

$186 8.4%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 10.4% $19

Getting Around

Gent

$98 4.4%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 35.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Gent

$67 3%

Lisbon

$66 3% 2.2% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,190 in Gent versus $1,614 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 132% higher in Gent. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $114 in Gent versus $61.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $357 vs $269 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇧🇪 Gent

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

16:51 4:51 PM

1 h behind Gent

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

237,000

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

Gent Lisbon 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Gent
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

Gent vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,336 per month in Gent and $3,335 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Gent, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Kindergarten costs $567 per month in Gent and $677 in Lisbon. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,223, than in Gent at $2,224. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gent it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gent makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.