Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Alkmaar

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,394 in Alkmaar, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. The total is higher in Alkmaar despite lower rent and utilities.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Alkmaar
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Alkmaar Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Alkmaar

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Alkmaar

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 Alkmaar actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,394 in Alkmaar.

Lisbon $2,202
Alkmaar $2,394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $3,536 in Alkmaar.

Lisbon $3,274
Alkmaar $3,536

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,677 in Alkmaar.

Lisbon $4,346
Alkmaar $4,677

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 8% less than in Alkmaar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Alkmaar 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$29.74 €26.45

-42.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$88.1 €78.3

-29.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$14.67 €13.05

-24.88%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$3.96 €3.52

-21.21%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$3.19 €2.83

-28.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.47 €2.20

-29.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$5.75 €5.12

-40.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$4.57 €4.06

-18.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.43 €1.27

-18.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.37 €2.10

-21.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$3.45 €3.07

-55.36%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$4.90 €4.36

-17.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$14.23 €12.66

-9.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$15.08 €13.41

-47.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$16.85 €14.99

4.69%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.54 €2.26

-11.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.47 €2.20

-29.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$1.84 €1.64

2.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$4.25 €3.78

-39.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.94 €1.73

-4.64%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.15 €1.91

-8.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.28 €1.13

13.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.80 €0.71

-3.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$12.78 €11.37

-47.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$6.89 €6.13

-17.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.34 €1.19

2.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.19 €1.95

-3.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.20 €1.96

5.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$57.9 €51.5

-23.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$2.75 €2.44

43.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.63 €1.45

-35.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$24.82 €22.07

-30.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.24 €1.99

-2.23%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$41.3K €36.7K

-18.13%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$38.6K €34.4K

-0.95%

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

$164 €146

$242 €216

-32.39%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$20.63 €18.35

-10.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$46.41 €41.28

-28.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$46.05 €40.96

-0.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$6.11 €5.44

205.73%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$15.00 €13.34

-35.00%

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

$684 €608

$726 €645

-5.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$2,393 €2,128

636.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$116 €103

-10.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$46.67 €41.51

-1.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$109 €97.3

-8.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$118 €105

5.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$778 €692

104.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,020 €907

14.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$2,855 €2,539

-0.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$1,576 €1,401

26.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$4,974 €4,424

56.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$4,169 €3,709

5.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$3,317 €2,950

-51.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

-3.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Alkmaar: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Alkmaar

$1K 42.6% 12.8% $149

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Alkmaar

$346 14.5% 26.7% $73

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Alkmaar

$390 16.3% 57.6% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Alkmaar

$309 12.9% 43.7% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Alkmaar

$176 7.3% 4.3% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Alkmaar

$76 3.2% 16.3% $11

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Alkmaar

$78 3.2% 23.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $778 in Alkmaar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alkmaar pays 107% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $88.0 in Alkmaar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $346 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇳🇱 Alkmaar

🕒 Local time

13:35 1:35 PM

14:35 2:35 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

111,834

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Alkmaar 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Alkmaar

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 Alkmaar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Alkmaar. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 107% lower in Alkmaar. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $778 in Alkmaar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 30% less than in Alkmaar. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $726 in Alkmaar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,394 in Alkmaar, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Alkmaar. 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, Lisbon and Alkmaar 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 9% less than in Alkmaar. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.