Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Brussels

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,594 in Brussels, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Brussels
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Brussels Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Brussels

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,594

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Brussels

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,594 in Brussels.

Lisbon $2,223
Brussels $2,594

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $3,876 in Brussels.

Lisbon $3,271
Brussels $3,876

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $5,157 in Brussels.

Lisbon $4,319
Brussels $5,157

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 14% less than in Brussels, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Brussels 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$22.12 €19.67

-25.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$89.8 €79.9

-31.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$15.07 €13.41

-25.22%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$4.49 €4.00

-31.85%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$3.67 €3.27

-38.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$3.15 €2.80

-45.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$5.67 €5.04

-40.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$5.64 €5.01

-39.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.35 €1.20

-17.04%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.77 €2.46

-32.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.78 €2.48

-44.96%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$5.22 €4.65

-24.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$17.44 €15.51

-26.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$13.36 €11.88

-40.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$21.90 €19.48

-22.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$3.03 €2.70

-25.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.42 €2.15

-27.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.83 €2.52

-34.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$4.07 €3.62

-36.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.56 €2.28

-27.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$2.24 €1.99

-9.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.84 €1.64

-21.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.26 €1.12

-34.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$13.26 €11.80

-50.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$9.61 €8.55

-41.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$2.60 €2.31

-50.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$3.12 €2.78

-33.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$2.82 €2.50

-16.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$61.6 €54.8

-28.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$2.91 €2.59

37.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.23 €1.98

-51.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$40.47 €36.00

-58.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.06 €1.83

10.68%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$36.0K €32.0K

-6.43%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$33.2K €29.6K

18.25%

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

$167 €149

$283 €252

-40.89%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$21.97 €19.54

-14.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$51.7 €46.01

-36.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$33.30 €29.62

38.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$27.56 €24.51

-30.37%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$16.33 €14.53

-39.74%

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

$677 €602

$1,569 €1,396

-56.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$36.7K €32.6K

-53.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$103 €91.9

-2.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$45.60 €40.56

0.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$109 €97.2

-8.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$146 €130

-16.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$1,318 €1,172

22.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$1,167 €1,038

2.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$2,463 €2,191

16.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$1,975 €1,756

0.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$5,099 €4,535

48.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$3,881 €3,453

10.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$3,357 €2,986

-52.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.71

3.77%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Brussels: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Brussels

$1.2K 45% 2.5% $30

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Brussels

$392 15.1% 45.7% $123

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Brussels

$343 13.2% 41.6% $101

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Brussels

$357 13.8% 62.8% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Brussels

$182 7% 9.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Brussels

$66 2.5% 0.4% $0.3

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Brussels

$87 3.4% 38% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $1,318 in Brussels. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Brussels pays 111% 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: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $90.0 in Brussels for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $392 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇧🇪 Brussels

🕒 Local time

17:44 5:44 PM

18:44 6:44 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

188,137 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Brussels 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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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 Brussels: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Brussels. 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 111% lower in Brussels. 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: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $1,318 in Brussels. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 46% higher in Brussels. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $90.0 in Brussels. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,594 in Brussels, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Brussels. 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 $2,223 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lisbon hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Brussels 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 17% less than in Brussels. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.