Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bielefeld

For one person, living is cheaper in Bielefeld: $1,928 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
94

Cost of Living Index in Bielefeld
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Bielefeld Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Bielefeld

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,928

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Bielefeld

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

A single person spends $2,202 per month in Lisbon vs $1,928 in Bielefeld, rent included.

Lisbon $2,202
Bielefeld $1,928

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Lisbon vs $2,941 in Bielefeld, rent included.

Lisbon $3,274
Bielefeld $2,941

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $3,954 in Bielefeld, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Bielefeld $3,954

Lisbon costs about 14% more than Bielefeld, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Bielefeld sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Bielefeld by 42%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$13.68 €12.17

24.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$67.8 €60.3

-8.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$15.40 €13.70

-28.44%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$3.91 €3.47

-20.20%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$2.93 €2.60

-22.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$3.02 €2.68

-42.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$5.25 €4.67

-34.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$4.67 €4.15

-19.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.24 €1.10

-5.65%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.07 €1.84

-10.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$3.70 €3.29

-58.38%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$3.59 €3.20

13.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$13.64 €12.13

-5.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$10.65 €9.47

-25.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$19.64 €17.47

-10.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.19 €2.84

-29.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.12 €1.88

-17.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.13 €1.89

-11.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$5.16 €4.59

-50.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.18 €1.05

56.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.33 €1.18

48.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.66 €1.47

-12.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$1.02 €0.91

-24.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$9.68 €8.61

-30.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$5.76 €5.12

-1.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.05 €0.93

30.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.59 €1.41

32.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$3.54 €3.15

-34.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$63.9 €56.9

-30.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$4.56 €4.05

-13.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$3.05 €2.71

-65.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$33.42 €29.73

-48.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$33.6K €29.9K

0.54%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$39.2K €34.8K

-2.30%

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

$164 €146

$300 €267

-45.38%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$29.93 €26.63

-38.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$43.89 €39.04

-24.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$33.95 €30.19

35.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$38.33 €34.10

-51.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$13.75 €12.23

-29.09%

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

$684 €608

$665 €591

2.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$30.9K €27.5K

-42.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$99.0 €88.1

4.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$39.95 €35.54

15.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$127 €113

-21.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$139 €124

-10.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$689 €613

130.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$627 €557

86.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$1,201 €1,068

137.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$1,162 €1,034

71.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$4,696 €4,177

65.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$2,244 €1,996

96.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$2,815 €2,504

-43.17%

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 Bielefeld: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Bielefeld

$627 32.5% 46.4% $542

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Bielefeld

$323 16.8% 18.5% $50

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Bielefeld

$262 13.6% 5.8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Bielefeld

$374 19.4% 73.6% $158

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Bielefeld

$183 9.5% 8.4% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Bielefeld

$61 3.2% 6% $3.9

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Bielefeld

$98 5.1% 55.6% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in Lisbon versus $689 in Bielefeld. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 76% higher in Bielefeld, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lisbon versus $68.0 in Bielefeld. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $323 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇩🇪 Bielefeld

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

18:56 6:56 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

328,012

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

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Lisbon Bielefeld 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

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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 Bielefeld: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 14%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,302 per month in Lisbon and $2,891 in Bielefeld. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bielefeld, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 18% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value, probably thanks to stronger retail competition or local farming.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lisbon and $68.0 in Bielefeld. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Bielefeld, where all-in costs run around $1,928, than in Lisbon at $2,202. In Bielefeld it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bielefeld – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bielefeld. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.