Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cottbus

For one person, living is cheaper in Cottbus: $1,502 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
73

Cost of Living Index in Cottbus
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Cottbus Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Cottbus

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,502

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Cottbus

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

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Lisbon vs $1,502 in Cottbus, rent included.

Lisbon $2,223
Cottbus $1,502

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Lisbon vs $2,357 in Cottbus, rent included.

Lisbon $3,271
Cottbus $2,357

A family of three spends $4,319 per month in Lisbon vs $3,212 in Cottbus, rent included.

Lisbon $4,319
Cottbus $3,212

Lisbon costs about 48% more than Cottbus, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lisbon and Cottbus sit above the global median – Lisbon by 65%, Cottbus by 11%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$16.70 €14.85

-1.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$78.8 €70.1

-22.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$10.86 €9.66

3.78%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$2.49 €2.22

22.89%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$2.46 €2.19

-8.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$3.04 €2.70

-43.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$2.75 €2.45

23.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$3.36 €2.99

1.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.23 €1.10

-8.94%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.02 €1.80

-7.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$1.37 €1.22

11.68%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$3.32 €2.96

19.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$12.94 €11.51

-1.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$11.12 €9.89

-28.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$19.20 €17.08

-11.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.96 €2.64

-23.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.94 €1.73

-9.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.03 €1.81

-8.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$3.64 €3.24

-29.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.32 €1.17

40.91%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.23 €1.10

64.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.48 €1.31

-2.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.02 €0.90

-19.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$9.14 €8.13

-28.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$5.46 €4.85

2.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.07 €0.95

19.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.54 €1.37

34.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$3.10 €2.76

-24.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$49.18 €43.75

-10.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$3.81 €3.39

4.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$1.88 €1.67

-42.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$26.99 €24.01

-38.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.00 €1.78

14.00%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$33.2K €29.6K

1.33%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$38.1K €33.9K

3.22%

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

$167 €149

$174 €155

-3.76%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$15.05 €13.38

24.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$44.12 €39.25

-25.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$38.73 €34.45

18.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$16.60 €14.77

15.60%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$13.47 €11.99

-26.95%

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

$677 €602

$283 €252

138.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$12.9K €11.5K

31.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$56.0 €49.83

80.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$27.86 €24.78

64.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$72.8 €64.8

37.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$71.2 €63.3

72.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$593 €527

172.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$487 €433

145.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$1,146 €1,019

149.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$839 €746

137.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$2,557 €2,274

196.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$1,976 €1,758

117.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$1,659 €1,476

-4.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.2

20.31%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Cottbus: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Cottbus

$487 32.4% 59.3% $710

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Cottbus

$300 20% 11.4% $31

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Cottbus

$239 15.9% 1.5% $3.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Cottbus

$233 15.5% 6.3% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Cottbus

$103 6.8% 38.4% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Cottbus

$66 4.4% 0% $0

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Cottbus

$75 5% 18.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Lisbon versus $593 in Cottbus. 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 5% higher in Cottbus, 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 Cottbus. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $300 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇩🇪 Cottbus

🕒 Local time

10:33 10:33 AM

11:33 11:33 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

101,036

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Cottbus 2,320 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Cottbus

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 Cottbus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 48%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,335 per month in Lisbon and $2,253 in Cottbus. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% 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 $61.0 in Lisbon and $79.0 in Cottbus. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Cottbus, where all-in costs run around $1,502, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Cottbus it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Cottbus – 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 Cottbus. 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.