Cost of Living Comparison Between Kiel and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Kiel and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,947 in Kiel versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,949 in Kiel versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,950 in Kiel versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Kiel costs roughly 13% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Kiel 45% above, Lisbon 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 €14.98

$15.73 €13.42

11.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.7 €66.3

$63.2 €53.9

23.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 €9.99

$10.32 €8.80

13.47%

Cappuccino

$4.00 €3.41

$2.81 €2.40

42.35%

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

$3.24 €2.76

$2.33 €1.99

39.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €1.93

$1.51 €1.29

49.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 €5.05

$3.37 €2.87

75.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.59 €3.91

$3.91 €3.34

17.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.08 €0.92

22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$2.21 €1.89

$1.75 €1.49

26.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 €2.88

$1.75 €1.50

92.57%

Eggs

$3.89 €3.32

$3.10 €2.64

25.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.44 €12.32

$13.28 €11.33

8.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.89 €11.85

$7.85 €6.70

76.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.14 €18.89

$16.05 €13.69

37.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.22 €2.75

$2.39 €2.04

34.73%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.47

$1.72 €1.47

0.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 €1.93

$1.97 €1.68

14.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 €4.34

$2.55 €2.17

99.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.51 €1.29

$1.79 €1.53

-15.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 €1.24

$1.97 €1.68

-25.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.75

$0.84 €0.71

4.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 €8.25

$6.82 €5.82

41.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.42 €5.47

$5.85 €4.99

9.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.38 €1.18

-21.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.40

$2.92 €2.49

-43.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.78 €2.37

$2.29 €1.95

21.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.4 €48.14

$46.88 €39.99

20.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.79 €4.09

$4.12 €3.51

16.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 €1.73

$0.81 €0.69

150.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.68 €21.91

$18.94 €16.16

35.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.71

$2.09 €1.78

-3.83%

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

$31.0K €26.4K

$35.1K €30.0K

-11.73%

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

$36.9K €31.5K

$39.7K €33.9K

-7.09%

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

$327 €279

$150 €128

118.63%

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

$24.65 €21.03

$20.49 €17.48

20.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.0 €46.90

$39.15 €33.40

40.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.32 €31.83

$49.65 €42.35

-24.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.21 €19.79

$18.47 €15.76

25.66%

Cinema Ticket

$17.24 €14.71

$9.20 €7.84

87.39%

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

$312 €266

$624 €533

-50.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,407 €8,024

$15.9K €13.6K

-40.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 €63.9

$102 €87.2

-26.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.87 €39.98

$40.88 €34.87

14.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €85.7

$95.7 €81.6

4.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €114

$121 €103

10.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$657 €560

$1,653 €1,410

-60.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$638 €544

$1,233 €1,051

-48.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,598 €1,363

$3,043 €2,596

-47.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,083 €924

$2,059 €1,756

-47.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,473 €4,668

$7,879 €6,720

-30.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,983 €2,545

$4,303 €3,671

-30.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,421 €2,918

$1,566 €1,336

118.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

3.81

3.94%

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

Last update for Kiel: April 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $657 in Kiel and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kiel pays 118% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78 in Kiel vs $63 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $270 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

Kiel vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiel is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 15% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Kiel pays 118% 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: $657 in Kiel versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Kiel – a meal for two runs $78.0 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,947 in Kiel versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Kiel but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kiel the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kiel is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Kiel 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 Kiel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.