Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Diest Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Diest

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $2,142 in Diest.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $3,169 in Diest.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $4,196 in Diest.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 6% more expensive than in Diest, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Diest 55% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$23.21 €20.01

-24.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$92.4 €79.7

-30.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$12.07 €10.40

-3.48%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.70 €3.19

-11.89%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$3.47 €2.99

-28.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$3.08 €2.65

-45.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$5.49 €4.73

-36.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$4.69 €4.05

-23.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.29 €1.11

-8.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.92 €2.52

-33.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.24 €1.93

-30.36%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.77 €3.25

6.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$17.40 €14.99

-23.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$12.57 €10.84

-33.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$20.03 €17.27

-8.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.95 €2.55

-21.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.42 €2.09

-28.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.60 €2.24

-25.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$3.13 €2.70

-15.65%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$2.25 €1.94

-15.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$2.03 €1.75

3.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.53 €1.32

-5.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.11 €0.96

-27.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$13.10 €11.29

-46.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$8.05 €6.94

-26.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.05 €1.77

-33.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.09 €1.80

2.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$3.17 €2.74

-24.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$57.2 €49.28

-19.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$5.67 €4.89

-26.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.75 €2.37

-60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$37.02 €31.91

-53.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.06 €1.78

9.22%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$37.5K €32.3K

-8.03%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$35.3K €30.4K

17.88%

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

$171 €147

$212 €183

-19.35%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$22.87 €19.71

-16.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$52.8 €45.51

-35.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$37.37 €32.22

32.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$21.02 €18.12

-7.18%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$15.91 €13.71

-36.52%

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

$699 €603

$769 €663

-9.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$22.4K €19.3K

-20.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$107 €92.3

-2.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$48.47 €41.78

-1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$108 €92.8

-5.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$148 €128

-13.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$958 €826

73.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$851 €734

44.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,458 €1,257

99.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$1,199 €1,033

68.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$4,161 €3,587

95.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$3,078 €2,653

50.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$2,202 €1,898

-26.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.46

9.25%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Diest: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $958 in Diest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Diest pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $92.0 in Diest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $357 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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 Diest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Diest wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Diest the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 36% lower in Diest. 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $958 in Diest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Diest runs roughly 24% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $769 in Diest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $2,142 in Diest versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Diest but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Diest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Diest delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,142 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Diest hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Diest 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 Diest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.