Cost of Living Comparison Between Heerlen and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Heerlen and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Heerlen versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,482 in Heerlen versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,757 in Heerlen versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Heerlen costs roughly 5% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Heerlen 61% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.12 €19.89

$17.30 €14.89

33.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.7 €75.5

$63.3 €54.4

38.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.75 €11.83

$11.39 €9.80

20.72%

Cappuccino

$3.86 €3.32

$3.19 €2.75

21.00%

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

$3.16 €2.72

$2.45 €2.10

28.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.76 €1.52

17.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.19 €4.47

$3.59 €3.09

44.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 €4.05

$3.39 €2.92

38.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.24 €1.06

8.87%

White Bread (500g)

$2.50 €2.15

$1.98 €1.71

26.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 €2.23

$1.52 €1.31

70.39%

Eggs

$4.16 €3.58

$4.04 €3.48

2.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.94 €10.27

$13.54 €11.65

-11.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.70 €12.65

$8.39 €7.22

75.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.61 €16.01

$18.25 €15.70

1.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.29 €1.97

7.42%

Banana (1kg)

$2.47 €2.13

$1.74 €1.50

41.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.89

$1.86 €1.60

17.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 €3.86

$2.63 €2.26

70.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.92 €1.65

0.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.09 €1.80

2.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.23

$1.44 €1.24

-1.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.84 €0.72

-2.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.68 €12.63

$6.78 €5.83

116.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.26 €6.25

$5.71 €4.91

27.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.38 €1.18

7.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.28

$2.22 €1.91

19.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.85 €3.31

$2.40 €2.06

60.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.3 €54.5

$46.78 €40.25

35.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.36 €5.47

$4.17 €3.59

52.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.14 €0.98

56.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.42 €20.15

$17.68 €15.21

32.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.32 €2.00

-0.43%

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

$30.3K €26.1K

$35.3K €30.4K

-14.18%

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

$36.2K €31.2K

$41.4K €35.7K

-12.64%

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

$193 €166

$170 €147

13.57%

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

$27.47 €23.64

$19.34 €16.64

42.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.4 €45.08

$33.64 €28.95

55.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.64 €31.53

$48.10 €41.39

-23.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.67 €24.67

$19.90 €17.12

44.07%

Cinema Ticket

$13.73 €11.82

$9.92 €8.54

38.41%

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

$694 €597

$717 €617

-3.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,684 €4,891

$17.5K €15.0K

-67.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €88.5

$105 €90.2

-1.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 €44.81

$46.95 €40.40

10.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.8 €83.3

$103 €89.0

-6.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$191 €164

$124 €107

54.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,064 €916

$1,677 €1,443

-36.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$918 €790

$1,271 €1,094

-27.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,963 €1,689

$2,985 €2,568

-34.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,430

$1,992 €1,715

-16.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,099 €3,527

$7,826 €6,734

-47.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,931 €2,522

$4,658 €4,008

-37.08%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,326 €2,862

$1,583 €1,362

110.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.35

3.79

14.78%

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

Last update for Heerlen: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,064 in Heerlen and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heerlen pays 110% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88.0 in Heerlen vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 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

Heerlen vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Heerlen wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Heerlen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 110% higher in Heerlen, 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: $1,064 in Heerlen versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Heerlen runs roughly 35% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $694 in Heerlen versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,206 in Heerlen versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Heerlen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Heerlen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Heerlen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,206 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Heerlen hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Heerlen 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 Heerlen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.