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: $2,146 in Groningen versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,116 in Groningen versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,086 in Groningen versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Groningen costs roughly 3% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Groningen 60% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.28 €14.88

$15.91 €13.70

8.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.1 €81.0

$64.8 €55.8

45.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.13 €12.17

$10.51 €9.05

34.44%

Cappuccino

$3.97 €3.42

$2.87 €2.47

38.33%

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

$2.96 €2.55

$2.24 €1.93

32.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 €2.34

$1.50 €1.30

81.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €4.90

$3.49 €3.01

63.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.16 €3.58

$3.88 €3.34

7.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.14

$1.14 €0.98

15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.75 €1.51

18.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.23 €2.78

$1.76 €1.51

83.52%

Eggs

$4.67 €4.02

$3.22 €2.77

45.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.91 €11.98

$13.49 €11.62

3.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.15 €13.04

$7.91 €6.81

91.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.48 €15.05

$15.87 €13.67

10.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.31 €1.99

-3.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 €2.21

$1.70 €1.46

50.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.74

$2.01 €1.73

0.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 €3.10

$2.46 €2.12

46.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.84 €1.59

17.93%

Onion (1kg)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.00 €1.72

-2.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.12

$1.93 €1.66

-32.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 €0.64

$0.79 €0.68

-6.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.63 €11.73

$6.61 €5.69

106.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.06 €6.08

$5.72 €4.93

23.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.37 €1.18

9.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.97 €2.56

-17.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.00 €3.45

$2.37 €2.04

68.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.9 €58.5

$45.56 €39.23

48.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.67 €3.16

$4.29 €3.69

-14.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 €2.18

$0.82 €0.70

208.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.12 €25.94

$18.30 €15.76

64.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €1.96

$2.06 €1.78

10.19%

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

$29.0K €25.0K

$34.3K €29.5K

-15.38%

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

$32.8K €28.3K

$39.3K €33.8K

-16.48%

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

$211 €182

$148 €127

42.98%

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

$21.91 €18.86

$20.52 €17.67

6.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$46.36 €39.92

$39.61 €34.11

17.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.44 €33.10

$47.85 €41.20

-19.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.13 €12.17

$18.92 €16.29

-25.32%

Cinema Ticket

$14.40 €12.40

$9.18 €7.91

56.86%

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

$1,782 €1,535

$614 €529

190.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,651 €7,450

$16.0K €13.8K

-46.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$67.9 €58.4

$105 €90.1

-35.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.95 €22.35

$42.06 €36.22

-38.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 €74.2

$94.0 €80.9

-8.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.4 €77.0

$120 €103

-25.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,189 €1,024

$1,628 €1,402

-26.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$899 €774

$1,255 €1,081

-28.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,732 €1,491

$3,030 €2,609

-42.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,167

$2,020 €1,740

-32.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,570 €4,796

$7,800 €6,716

-28.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,272 €3,678

$4,273 €3,679

-0.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,903 €2,500

$1,603 €1,381

81.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.64

3.81

-4.46%

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

Last update for Groningen: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,189 in Groningen and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Groningen pays 81% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Groningen vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $269 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 wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Groningen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Groningen pays 81% more on average, 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: $1,189 in Groningen versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 26% 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 $94.0 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,146 in Groningen versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Groningen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Groningen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Groningen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,146 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 3% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.