Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Brugge

For one person, living is cheaper in Brugge: $2,117 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Brugge
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Brugge Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Brugge

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Brugge

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

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Lisbon vs $2,117 in Brugge, rent included.

Lisbon $2,223
Brugge $2,117

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Lisbon vs $3,097 in Brugge, rent included.

Lisbon $3,271
Brugge $3,097

A family of three spends $4,319 per month in Lisbon vs $4,077 in Brugge, rent included.

Lisbon $4,319
Brugge $4,077

Lisbon costs about 5% more than Brugge, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Lisbon and Brugge sit above the global median – Lisbon by 65%, Brugge by 57%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$22.26 €19.80

-25.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$79.3 €70.5

-22.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$11.35 €10.09

-0.70%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$4.36 €3.88

-29.82%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$2.89 €2.57

-21.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$2.85 €2.53

-39.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$5.35 €4.76

-36.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$4.33 €3.85

-21.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.19 €1.06

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.93 €1.71

-3.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.04 €1.82

-25.00%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$3.93 €3.50

0.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$11.55 €10.27

10.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$11.83 €10.52

-33.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$19.28 €17.15

-11.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.63 €2.34

-13.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.10 €1.87

-16.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.13 €1.89

-13.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$2.23 €1.99

15.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.25 €2.00

-17.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$0.89 €0.80

126.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.52 €1.35

-5.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$0.87 €0.77

-5.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$13.23 €11.77

-50.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$7.05 €6.27

-20.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.09 €0.97

17.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.90 €1.69

8.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$3.12 €2.78

-24.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$53.7 €47.77

-17.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$3.29 €2.93

21.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.50 €2.22

-56.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$25.26 €22.47

-34.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.97 €1.75

15.74%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$35.0K €31.1K

-3.72%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$33.8K €30.0K

16.39%

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

$167 €149

$214 €191

-21.80%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$18.38 €16.35

2.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$52.8 €46.94

-37.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$43.18 €38.41

6.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$13.49 €12.00

42.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$14.39 €12.80

-31.62%

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

$677 €602

$592 €527

14.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$4,925 €4,381

243.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$102 €91.1

-1.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$58.8 €52.3

-22.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$88.5 €78.7

13.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$253 €225

-51.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$919 €818

75.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$828 €737

44.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$1,282 €1,140

123.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$1,176 €1,046

69.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$2,650 €2,357

185.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$2,463 €2,191

74.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$2,551 €2,269

-37.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.52

9.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Brugge: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Brugge

$828 39.1% 30.8% $369

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Brugge

$301 14.2% 11.6% $31

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Brugge

$323 15.3% 33.3% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Brugge

$285 13.5% 30.1% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Brugge

$226 10.7% 35.9% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Brugge

$72 3.4% 9.5% $6.3

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Brugge

$82 3.9% 30.1% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Lisbon versus $919 in Brugge. 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 61% higher in Brugge, 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 $61.0 in Lisbon versus $79.0 in Brugge. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $301 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇧🇪 Brugge

🕒 Local time

18:55 6:55 PM

19:55 7:55 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

117,639

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Brugge 1,690 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Brugge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 5% more than Brugge, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,335 per month in Lisbon and $3,176 in Brugge. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,223 in Lisbon and $2,117 in Brugge. That's a gap of about 5%.

Public transport costs about 22% less in Brugge. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,500 monthly budget goes further in Brugge, where all-in costs run around $2,117, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Brugge it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Brugge – 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 Brugge. 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.