Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Groningen and Lisbon

For one person, living costs are similar in Groningen and in Lisbon: $2,282 and $2,223 a month, rent and utilities included.

110

Cost of Living Index in Groningen
Learn more

Groningen Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

Jump to prices

Groningen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,282

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,282 in Groningen versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Groningen $2,282
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,443 in Groningen versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Groningen $3,443
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,603 in Groningen versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Groningen $4,603
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Groningen is roughly 3% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Groningen 69% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 €17.63

$16.50 €14.67

20.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 €91.0

$61.3 €54.5

67.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.34 €13.65

$11.27 €10.03

36.11%

Cappuccino

$4.60 €4.10

$3.06 €2.72

50.33%

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

$3.94 €3.50

$2.26 €2.01

74.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 €2.83

$1.73 €1.54

83.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.69 €5.06

$3.39 €3.02

67.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 €4.87

$3.40 €3.02

60.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 €1.32

$1.12 €1.00

33.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 €2.34

$1.86 €1.65

41.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.61 €2.32

$1.53 €1.36

70.59%

Eggs

$4.55 €4.05

$3.96 €3.53

14.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.72 €11.31

$12.76 €11.35

-0.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.16 €11.71

$7.90 €7.02

66.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.17 €16.16

$16.97 €15.09

7.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.99 €2.66

$2.27 €2.02

31.72%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 €2.13

$1.75 €1.55

36.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 €2.22

$1.85 €1.64

35.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 €4.23

$2.57 €2.28

85.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.86 €1.65

9.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.57 €1.40

$2.02 €1.80

-22.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.30 €1.16

$1.44 €1.28

-9.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.27 €1.13

$0.82 €0.73

54.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.45 €12.86

$6.56 €5.83

120.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.54 €5.82

$5.62 €5.00

16.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.22

$1.28 €1.14

7.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 €2.23

$2.07 €1.84

21.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.14 €3.68

$2.35 €2.09

76.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.5 €60.0

$44.18 €39.30

52.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.78 €6.03

$3.99 €3.55

69.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.73 €2.43

$1.09 €0.97

150.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.38 €25.24

$16.64 €14.81

70.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.52 €2.24

$2.28 €2.03

10.53%

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

$42.0K €37.3K

$33.7K €30.0K

24.59%

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

$39.1K €34.7K

$39.3K €35.0K

-0.61%

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

$230 €204

$167 €149

37.03%

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

$20.48 €18.21

$18.80 €16.72

8.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.87 €43.47

$33.09 €29.43

47.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.10 €34.78

$46.01 €40.93

-15.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.07 €13.40

$19.19 €17.07

-21.47%

Cinema Ticket

$16.69 €14.84

$9.84 €8.75

69.61%

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

$1,756 €1,562

$677 €602

159.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,621 €6,779

$16.9K €15.1K

-54.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €93.3

$101 €90.1

3.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.13 €39.25

$45.76 €40.70

-3.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €91.8

$100.0 €88.9

3.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 €174

$123 €109

59.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 €1,194

$1,614 €1,436

-16.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$931 €828

$1,197 €1,065

-22.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,965 €1,748

$2,862 €2,545

-31.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,473 €1,310

$1,990 €1,770

-25.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,191 €4,618

$7,577 €6,740

-31.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,906 €3,474

$4,307 €3,831

-9.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,025 €2,691

$1,588 €1,412

90.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.43

3.85

-10.91%

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

Last update for Groningen: 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

Groningen

$931 40.8%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 28.6% $266

Groceries & Markets

Groningen

$346 15.2%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 22.1% $77

Eating Out

Groningen

$328 14.4%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 26.1% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Groningen

$299 13.1%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 26.6% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Groningen

$202 8.8%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 17.5% $35

Getting Around

Groningen

$104 4.6%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 39.7% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Groningen

$72 3.2%

Lisbon

$66 3% 9.4% $6.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,342 in Groningen and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Groningen pays 91% 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: $102 in Groningen vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $346 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Groningen

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

19:35 7:35 PM

18:35 6:35 PM

1 h behind Groningen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

201,242

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Groningen Lisbon 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Groningen
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

Groningen vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Groningen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 91% 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: $1,342 in Groningen versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 28% higher in Groningen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $102 in Groningen. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,282 in Groningen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Groningen. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lisbon delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,223 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Groningen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.