Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Den Helder

For one person, living is cheaper in Den Helder: $2,005 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Den Helder, Netherlands
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Den Helder
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,005
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Den Helder

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $2,005 in Den Helder, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Den Helder $2,005

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $3,061 in Den Helder, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Den Helder $3,061

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $4,117 in Den Helder, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Den Helder $4,117

Lisbon costs about 10% more than Den Helder, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both Lisbon and Den Helder sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Den Helder by 47%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Den Helder
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$19.39 €17.37
-14.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$53.9 €48.34
14.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$8.25 €7.39
37.70%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$3.72 €3.33
-20.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.98 €2.67
-23.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$3.02 €2.70
-42.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$5.01 €4.49
-32.14%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$4.88 €4.38
-32.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Den Helder
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.11 €0.99
4.50%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.24 €1.11
54.03%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$0.82 €0.73
84.15%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$4.20 €3.76
-4.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$10.10 €9.05
28.12%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$14.50 €12.99
-46.41%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$15.85 €14.20
12.05%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$2.60 €2.33
-11.54%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.96 €1.76
-11.73%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.22 €1.09
52.46%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$4.19 €3.76
-38.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.40 €1.26
30.00%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.01 €0.90
95.05%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.03 €0.93
42.72%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.70 €0.62
2.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$13.59 €12.17
-51.58%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$7.22 €6.47
-22.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.32 €1.18
3.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.63 €2.36
-18.63%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Den Helder
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$9.43 €8.45
-75.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
$154 €138
-70.92%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$3.83 €3.43
0.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$3.10 €2.78
-65.48%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$36.21 €32.45
-54.54%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.47 €2.22
-10.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$41.1K €36.8K
-16.78%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$39.0K €35.0K
-0.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Den Helder
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$201 €180
-19.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$15.19 €13.61
21.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$20.22 €18.11
61.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Den Helder
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$23.99 €21.50
85.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
$19.17 €17.18
-0.37%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$14.70 €13.17
-34.69%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Den Helder
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$2,878 €2,579
-76.80%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$13.0K €11.6K
35.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Den Helder
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$116 €104
-12.10%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$46.63 €41.79
-4.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$119 €106
-16.88%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$136 €122
-8.88%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Den Helder
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$883 €791
82.21%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$744 €666
60.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$1,792 €1,606
56.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$1,347 €1,207
49.42%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$2,912 €2,610
169.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Den Helder
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$2,429 €2,177
-35.17%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
2.8
37.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Den Helder: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Den Helder
$744 37.5% $447
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Den Helder
$289 6.3% $17
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Den Helder
$283 16.8% $41
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Den Helder
$237 11.5% $24
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Den Helder
$188 13.1% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Den Helder
$53 16.2% $10
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Den Helder
$211 233% $147

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $883 in Den Helder. 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 54% higher in Den Helder, 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 in Lisbon versus $54 in Den Helder. Groceries tell a different story – $272 in Lisbon vs $289 in Den Helder – so Lisbon wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇳🇱 Den Helder
🕒 Local time
10:21 10:21 AM
11:21 11:21 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
56,296
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Den Helder 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Den Helder

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 Den Helder: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Den Helder cheaper than Lisbon?
Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 10%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in utilities.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $3,007 in Den Helder. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city has lower housing costs?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Den Helder, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $883 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
Is eating out cheaper in Lisbon or in Den Helder?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $54 in Den Helder. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
What are total monthly expenses in Lisbon and in Den Helder?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,005 in Den Helder. That makes Den Helder about 9% cheaper.
Is $2,500 enough for either Lisbon or Den Helder?
$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,005 in Den Helder, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.
Is it better to live in Lisbon or in Den Helder?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,005 in Den Helder to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Which city is safer, Lisbon or Den Helder?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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