Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Heerlen and Lisbon

For one person, living costs are similar in Heerlen and in Lisbon: $2,255 and $2,202 a month, rent and utilities included.

110

Cost of Living Index in Heerlen
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Heerlen Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Heerlen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,255

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Heerlen versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Heerlen $2,255
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,463 in Heerlen versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Heerlen $3,463
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,672 in Heerlen versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Heerlen $4,672
Lisbon $4,346

Living in Heerlen is roughly 2% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Heerlen 66% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.76 €21.13

$17.04 €15.15

39.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.9 €87.0

$62.3 €55.4

57.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.01 €16.90

$11.02 €9.80

72.50%

Cappuccino

$4.09 €3.64

$3.12 €2.78

31.09%

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

$3.24 €2.88

$2.27 €2.02

42.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 €2.03

$1.74 €1.55

31.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 €5.42

$3.42 €3.04

78.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 €4.97

$3.74 €3.33

49.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.17 €1.04

13.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.41 €2.15

$1.86 €1.66

29.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.54 €2.26

$1.54 €1.37

64.94%

Eggs

$4.47 €3.97

$4.06 €3.61

10.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 €10.43

$12.91 €11.49

-9.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.00 €12.45

$7.90 €7.03

77.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.91

$17.64 €15.69

1.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.26 €2.01

0.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.51 €2.23

$1.75 €1.55

43.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.89 €1.68

11.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.32 €3.84

$2.56 €2.27

68.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.65

$1.85 €1.64

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.97 €1.75

6.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.39 €1.24

$1.45 €1.29

-4.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.74

$0.77 €0.69

7.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.87 €12.34

$6.71 €5.97

106.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.20 €6.41

$5.67 €5.04

26.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 €1.26

$1.37 €1.22

2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 €2.37

$2.11 €1.88

26.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.60 €3.20

$2.32 €2.07

55.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.8 €53.2

$44.43 €39.52

34.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.27 €5.58

$3.95 €3.51

58.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 €1.50

$1.05 €0.93

60.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.38 €19.91

$17.15 €15.26

30.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.46 €2.19

$2.19 €1.95

12.33%

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

$29.7K €26.4K

$33.8K €30.0K

-12.23%

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

$35.0K €31.1K

$38.3K €34.0K

-8.55%

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

$191 €170

$164 €146

16.85%

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

$26.36 €23.45

$18.48 €16.43

42.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.0 €49.78

$32.96 €29.32

69.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.46 €31.54

$45.87 €40.80

-22.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.63 €24.58

$18.68 €16.61

47.91%

Cinema Ticket

$13.40 €11.92

$9.75 €8.67

37.44%

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

$671 €597

$684 €608

-1.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,507 €4,898

$17.6K €15.7K

-68.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$99.6 €88.6

$104 €92.3

-4.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.56 €44.08

$46.20 €41.09

7.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €90.1

$99.7 €88.7

1.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$193 €172

$125 €111

54.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,120 €996

$1,589 €1,414

-29.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$938 €834

$1,169 €1,040

-19.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,913 €1,701

$2,851 €2,536

-32.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 €1,411

$1,993 €1,773

-20.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,938 €3,502

$7,793 €6,932

-49.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,810 €2,500

$4,418 €3,930

-36.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,947 €2,622

$1,600 €1,423

84.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.35

3.85

12.99%

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

Last update for Heerlen: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Heerlen

$938 41.6%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 24.6% $231

Eating Out

Heerlen

$360 16%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 31.2% $112

Groceries & Markets

Heerlen

$333 14.8%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 18% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Heerlen

$274 12.1%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 21.4% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Heerlen

$200 8.9%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 15.6% $31

Getting Around

Heerlen

$89 3.9%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 29.2% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Heerlen

$62 2.8%

Lisbon

$65 3% 5% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,120 in Heerlen and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Heerlen pays 84% 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: $98.0 in Heerlen vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $333 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Heerlen

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

22:52 10:52 PM

1 h behind Heerlen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

87,086

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Heerlen vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Heerlen. 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 84% 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: $1,120 in Heerlen versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

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

Childcare runs $671 in Heerlen versus $684 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,255 in Heerlen, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Heerlen. 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 $2,202 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Heerlen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.