Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Aalen

For one person, living is cheaper in Aalen: $1,890 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Aalen
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,890
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Aalen

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Aalen actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $1,890 in Aalen.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Aalen $1,890

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $2,985 in Aalen.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Aalen $2,985

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,080 in Aalen.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Aalen $4,080

Living in Lisbon is roughly 16% more expensive than in Aalen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Aalen 39% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Aalen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$17.02 €15.14
0.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$67.5 €60.1
-7.77%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$12.57 €11.18
-12.33%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$3.55 €3.16
-12.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.79 €2.48
-18.64%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$2.43 €2.16
-28.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$4.42 €3.93
-22.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$4.47 €3.98
-16.33%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Aalen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.26 €1.12
-7.14%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.98 €1.76
-6.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$2.81 €2.50
-45.20%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$2.89 €2.57
40.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$14.01 €12.46
-7.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$10.28 €9.14
-23.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$16.30 €14.50
8.22%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$3.05 €2.72
-25.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$2.00 €1.78
-12.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$2.13 €1.89
-11.27%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$4.28 €3.81
-40.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.20 €1.07
54.17%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$1.31 €1.17
50.38%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.54 €1.37
-5.84%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.54 €0.48
42.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$9.03 €8.04
-25.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$5.71 €5.08
-0.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$0.80 €0.71
71.25%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$1.64 €1.46
28.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Aalen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$2.74 €2.44
-15.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
$67.5 €60.0
-34.15%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$3.98 €3.54
-0.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$2.23 €1.98
-52.91%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$28.02 €24.92
-38.79%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$2.03 €1.81
7.88%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$32.9K €29.3K
2.71%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$38.5K €34.3K
-0.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Aalen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$267 €238
-38.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$16.18 €14.39
14.22%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$48.40 €43.05
-31.90%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Aalen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$35.79 €31.83
28.16%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
$28.51 €25.36
-34.48%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$16.10 €14.32
-39.44%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Aalen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$524 €466
30.54%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$9,506 €8,455
85.43%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Aalen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$66.6 €59.2
55.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$53.4 €47.46
-13.40%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$79.2 €70.4
25.94%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$88.9 €79.1
40.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Aalen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$900 €800
76.62%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$707 €628
65.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$1,651 €1,468
72.68%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$1,516 €1,349
31.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$5,506 €4,898
41.53%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$4,450 €3,958
-0.71%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Aalen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
$3,454 €3,073
-53.68%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.95
-2.53%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Aalen: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Aalen
$707 39.6% $462
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Aalen
$292 7% $19
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Aalen
$268 8.5% $21
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Aalen
$332 54.1% $116
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Aalen
$130 23% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Aalen
$68 4% $2.6
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Aalen
$94 48.7% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $900 in Aalen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aalen pays 116% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $68.0 in Aalen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $292 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇩🇪 Aalen
🕒 Local time
09:10 9:10 AM
10:10 10:10 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
66,503
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Aalen 1,900 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Aalen

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
Lisbon vs Aalen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Aalen?
Aalen wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Aalen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Lisbon or in Aalen?
On paper, salaries run 116% lower in Aalen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Lisbon compared to Aalen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $900 in Aalen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Lisbon and in Aalen?
Dining out is cheaper in Aalen – a meal for two runs $68.0 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How much does it cost to live in Lisbon compared to Aalen?
All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $1,890 in Aalen – a 16% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Lisbon or in Aalen?
At $1,890 in Aalen versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Aalen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Aalen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Lisbon or Aalen?
Both work as nomad bases, but Aalen delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,890 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Aalen hard to pass up.
How safe is Lisbon compared to Aalen?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Aalen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Aalen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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