Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bonn

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,313 in Bonn, rent and utilities included – about $1,200 less a year. The total is higher in Bonn despite lower rent and utilities.

Lisbon, Portugal
Bonn, Germany
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Bonn
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,313
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Bonn

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,313 in Bonn.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Bonn $2,313

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,463 in Bonn.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Bonn $3,463

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,614 in Bonn.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Bonn $4,614

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 4% less than in Bonn, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Bonn 70% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Bonn
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$18.55 €16.67
-10.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$77.5 €69.6
-20.30%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$12.15 €10.92
-6.50%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$4.21 €3.78
-29.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$3.11 €2.79
-26.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.47 €2.22
-29.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$5.67 €5.09
-40.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$4.27 €3.83
-22.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Bonn
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.45 €1.30
-20.00%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$2.81 €2.52
-32.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$4.01 €3.61
-62.34%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$4.17 €3.74
-3.60%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$13.76 €12.36
-5.96%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$10.65 €9.56
-27.04%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$27.08 €24.33
-34.42%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$3.45 €3.10
-33.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$2.65 €2.38
-34.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$2.26 €2.03
-17.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$5.24 €4.71
-50.57%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$2.24 €2.01
-18.75%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.71 €1.53
15.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.65 €1.48
-10.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.31 €1.18
-45.04%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$9.51 €8.54
-30.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$5.97 €5.36
-6.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.26 €1.14
7.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$1.79 €1.61
19.55%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Bonn
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$4.59 €4.12
-49.24%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$71.1 €63.9
-37.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$2.95 €2.65
30.51%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.97 €1.77
-45.69%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$31.22 €28.05
-47.28%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$2.29 €2.05
-3.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$33.3K €29.9K
2.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$37.9K €34.1K
2.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Bonn
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$332 €298
-51.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$24.57 €22.07
-25.07%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$39.59 €35.56
-17.30%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Bonn
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$42.47 €38.16
4.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$32.47 €29.17
-41.18%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$15.74 €14.14
-39.01%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Bonn
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$690 €620
-3.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$13.9K €12.5K
26.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Bonn
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$75.3 €67.6
35.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$37.43 €33.62
18.78%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$103 €92.7
-4.53%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$113 €102
9.45%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Bonn
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$1,072 €963
50.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$925 €830
28.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$2,113 €1,898
33.08%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$1,601 €1,438
25.76%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$6,131 €5,507
27.86%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$4,368 €3,924
4.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Bonn
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$3,480 €3,126
-54.74%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.96
-2.78%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Bonn: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Bonn
$925 22.3% $266
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Bonn
$374 37.3% $102
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Bonn
$295 21.4% $52
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Bonn
$396 86.4% $184
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Bonn
$148 10.8% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Bonn
$74 16% $10
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Bonn
$102 61.9% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,072 in Bonn. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bonn pays about 2.2 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $77 in Bonn for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $374 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇩🇪 Bonn
🕒 Local time
23:45 11:45 PM
00:45 12:45 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
335,913
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Bonn 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Bonn

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 Bonn: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Bonn?
Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Bonn. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Lisbon or in Bonn?
On paper, salaries run 55% lower in Lisbon. 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 Bonn?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,072 in Bonn. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Lisbon and in Bonn?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $690 in Bonn. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Lisbon or in Bonn?
Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Bonn. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Lisbon or in Bonn?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Lisbon or Bonn?
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.
How safe is Lisbon compared to Bonn?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Bonn are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Should I move to Lisbon or to Bonn?
It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Bonn on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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