Cost of Living Comparison Between Groningen and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Groningen and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,288 in Groningen versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,495 in Groningen versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,702 in Groningen versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Groningen costs roughly 1% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Groningen 66% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.20 €18.23

$17.30 €14.87

22.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 €85.7

$63.3 €54.4

57.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.22 €13.95

$11.39 €9.79

42.41%

Cappuccino

$4.58 €3.94

$3.19 €2.74

43.57%

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

$3.90 €3.36

$2.45 €2.10

59.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 €2.84

$1.76 €1.52

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.93 €5.10

$3.59 €3.09

65.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.68 €4.88

$3.39 €2.92

67.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.24 €1.06

20.16%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 €2.35

$1.98 €1.71

37.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.52 €1.31

87.50%

Eggs

$4.69 €4.03

$4.04 €3.47

16.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.70 €11.78

$13.54 €11.64

1.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.50 €11.61

$8.39 €7.21

60.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.24 €19.12

$18.25 €15.69

21.86%

Apples (1kg)

$3.10 €2.66

$2.29 €1.97

35.37%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 €2.18

$1.74 €1.50

45.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.66 €2.28

$1.86 €1.60

43.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 €4.32

$2.63 €2.26

91.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.92 €1.65

19.27%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.39

$2.09 €1.80

-22.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.44 €1.24

-8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.09

$0.84 €0.72

51.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.05 €12.94

$6.78 €5.83

121.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.86 €5.90

$5.71 €4.91

20.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.38 €1.18

4.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 €2.17

$2.22 €1.91

13.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.27 €3.67

$2.40 €2.06

77.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 €59.6

$46.78 €40.22

48.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 €5.88

$4.17 €3.59

64.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.85 €2.45

$1.14 €0.98

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.82 €25.63

$17.68 €15.20

68.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.57 €2.21

$2.32 €2.00

10.78%

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

$43.5K €37.4K

$35.3K €30.4K

23.20%

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

$40.3K €34.6K

$41.4K €35.6K

-2.83%

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

$234 €201

$170 €146

37.10%

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

$21.65 €18.61

$19.34 €16.62

11.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 €43.92

$33.64 €28.92

51.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.27 €34.62

$48.10 €41.35

-16.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.72 €13.52

$19.90 €17.11

-21.01%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 €15.09

$9.92 €8.53

77.02%

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

$1,818 €1,563

$717 €617

153.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,840 €6,740

$17.5K €15.0K

-55.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.4

$105 €90.1

-2.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.18 €39.70

$46.95 €40.36

-1.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 €93.8

$103 €88.9

5.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 €124

$124 €107

16.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,368 €1,176

$1,677 €1,441

-18.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$917 €789

$1,271 €1,093

-27.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,958 €1,684

$2,985 €2,566

-34.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,448 €1,245

$1,992 €1,713

-27.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,591 €4,807

$7,826 €6,728

-28.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,027 €3,462

$4,658 €4,004

-13.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,132 €2,692

$1,583 €1,361

97.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.62

3.79

-4.49%

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

Last update for Groningen: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,368 in Groningen and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Groningen pays 98% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $100 in Groningen vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $283 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

Groningen vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Groningen and Lisbon differ by about 1% in total monthly costs ($2,288 vs $2,316 including rent). Groningen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 98% higher in Groningen, 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: $1,368 in Groningen versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Groningen – a meal for two runs $100 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Groningen is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Groningen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,288 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Groningen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Groningen 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 Groningen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.