Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilversum and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,093 in Hilversum versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,525 in Hilversum versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,956 in Hilversum versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Hilversum is roughly 35% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilversum 132% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.80 €25.19

$16.19 €14.17

77.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.2 €79.7

$63.3 €55.4

43.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.46 €14.40

$10.32 €9.03

59.50%

Cappuccino

$4.66 €4.08

$2.83 €2.48

64.66%

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

$3.72 €3.26

$2.29 €2.00

62.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.96 €2.59

$1.58 €1.38

87.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 €5.21

$3.40 €2.98

75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 €4.45

$4.03 €3.52

26.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.36 €1.19

$1.09 €0.95

24.77%

White Bread (500g)

$2.29 €2.00

$1.75 €1.53

30.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.63 €3.17

$1.76 €1.54

106.25%

Eggs

$4.92 €4.31

$3.17 €2.77

55.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.97 €11.34

$13.19 €11.54

-1.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.50 €15.31

$7.97 €6.97

119.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.43 €15.25

$15.53 €13.59

12.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.37 €2.07

-18.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.55 €2.23

$1.71 €1.49

49.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.69

$2.01 €1.76

-3.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 €3.37

$2.43 €2.13

58.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 €1.82

$1.76 €1.54

18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 €1.88

$2.03 €1.78

5.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 €1.06

$1.92 €1.68

-36.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.90 €0.79

$0.85 €0.74

5.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.97 €10.47

$6.58 €5.76

81.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.74 €5.89

$5.58 €4.88

20.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.35

$1.33 €1.17

15.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 €2.40

$2.97 €2.60

-7.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.61 €4.03

$2.28 €1.99

102.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.0 €86.6

$45.79 €40.06

116.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 €5.17

$4.23 €3.70

39.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 €1.86

$0.81 €0.71

162.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.56 €24.99

$18.44 €16.13

54.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 €1.91

$2.08 €1.82

4.81%

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

$40.5K €35.4K

$34.7K €30.3K

16.74%

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

$39.0K €34.1K

$39.2K €34.3K

-0.42%

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

$266 €233

$148 €130

79.81%

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

$29.39 €25.71

$20.46 €17.90

43.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.0 €50.8

$39.56 €34.61

46.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.1 €61.3

$47.99 €41.99

46.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.20 €36.05

$18.60 €16.27

121.51%

Cinema Ticket

$17.66 €15.45

$9.22 €8.07

91.54%

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

$679 €594

$616 €539

10.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,585 €6,636

$16.4K €14.4K

-53.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$127 €111

$103 €89.9

23.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.9 €53.3

$41.74 €36.52

46.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$134 €117

$94.8 €82.9

40.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$181 €159

$122 €107

48.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,762 €1,541

$1,633 €1,428

7.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,488 €1,302

$1,232 €1,078

20.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,011 €2,635

$3,098 €2,711

-2.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,438 €2,133

$2,031 €1,777

20.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 €6,104

$7,831 €6,851

-10.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,378 €4,705

$4,389 €3,840

22.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,721 €3,256

$1,607 €1,406

131.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.5

3.81

18.11%

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

Last update for Hilversum: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,762 in Hilversum and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Hilversum pays 132% 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: $91.0 in Hilversum vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $354 vs $267 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

Hilversum vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilversum and Lisbon differ by about 35% in total monthly costs ($3,093 vs $2,291 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 132% higher in Hilversum, 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: $1,762 in Hilversum versus $1,633 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 116% less than in Hilversum. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $679 in Hilversum versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Hilversum 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 35% less than in Hilversum. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.