Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bensheim Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bensheim

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,129 in Bensheim.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $3,134 in Bensheim.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $4,138 in Bensheim.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 8% more expensive than in Bensheim, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Bensheim 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$17.66 €15.40

-0.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$82.6 €72.0

-23.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$13.79 €12.02

-16.03%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.03 €3.52

-23.08%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$3.47 €3.03

-28.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$3.34 €2.91

-47.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$5.46 €4.76

-36.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.95 €3.45

-12.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.50 €1.31

-23.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.24 €1.95

-14.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$4.15 €3.62

-63.86%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.96 €3.45

0.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$14.39 €12.54

-7.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$10.84 €9.45

-26.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$28.13 €24.52

-35.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.42 €2.98

-31.29%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.24 €1.95

-21.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.01 €1.75

-7.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$3.79 €3.30

-32.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.25 €1.09

47.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.33 €1.16

57.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.59 €1.39

-6.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.14 €1.00

-28.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$10.02 €8.73

-29.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$5.89 €5.13

0.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.12 €0.98

16.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.56 €1.36

36.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$3.53 €3.08

-33.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$69.4 €60.5

-32.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$4.29 €3.74

-4.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.27 €1.97

-49.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$38.42 €33.49

-55.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.15 €1.87

7.44%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$34.1K €29.8K

-0.06%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$40.2K €35.0K

3.04%

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

$169 €147

$362 €315

-53.40%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$27.48 €23.95

-29.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$51.7 €45.04

-35.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$45.66 €39.80

6.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$25.09 €21.87

-22.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$14.12 €12.31

-32.22%

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

$696 €607

$547 €477

27.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$18.6K €16.2K

-6.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$86.3 €75.3

21.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$36.10 €31.46

32.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$99.9 €87.1

0.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$138 €121

-10.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$925 €806

79.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$603 €526

106.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,413 €1,232

109.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,304 €1,137

57.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$5,524 €4,815

41.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$3,699 €3,224

20.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$4,665 €4,066

-65.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.62

4.42%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Bensheim: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $925 in Bensheim. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bensheim pays 186% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $83.0 in Bensheim for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $356 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

Lisbon vs Bensheim: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Bensheim differ by about 8% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $2,129 including rent). Bensheim is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 186% lower in Bensheim. 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $925 in Bensheim. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $547 in Bensheim. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,129 in Bensheim versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bensheim but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bensheim the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Lisbon and Bensheim 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 Bensheim gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.