Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Diest

For one person, living is cheaper in Diest: $2,081 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 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
100

Cost of Living Index in Diest
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Diest Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Diest

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,081

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Diest

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,081 in Diest.

Lisbon $2,210
Diest $2,081

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,067 in Diest.

Lisbon $3,275
Diest $3,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,053 in Diest.

Lisbon $4,341
Diest $4,053

Living in Lisbon is roughly 6% more expensive than in Diest.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Diest 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$22.59 €20.30

-26.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$86.9 €78.0

-28.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$11.96 €10.74

-5.02%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$3.44 €3.09

-13.66%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$2.98 €2.68

-23.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$3.10 €2.79

-43.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$5.32 €4.78

-36.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$4.37 €3.92

-24.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.30 €1.17

-10.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$2.73 €2.46

-30.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$2.21 €1.99

-31.67%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$3.73 €3.35

7.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$15.58 €13.99

-16.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$12.12 €10.89

-35.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$19.60 €17.60

-9.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$2.71 €2.43

-15.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$2.20 €1.97

-21.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$2.55 €2.29

-27.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$2.80 €2.52

-7.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$2.17 €1.95

-16.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$1.80 €1.62

9.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.94 €0.85

-23.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

$12.09 €10.86

-45.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$8.26 €7.42

-32.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.03 €1.83

-33.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$2.10 €1.89

1.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$3.18 €2.85

-26.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

$47.83 €42.96

-6.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$5.49 €4.94

-29.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$2.54 €2.28

-57.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$29.88 €26.85

-44.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$1.95 €1.75

12.82%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$34.7K €31.2K

-1.43%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$36.4K €32.7K

6.43%

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

$161 €145

$213 €191

-24.17%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$20.73 €18.63

-11.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$50.4 €45.25

-35.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

$36.45 €32.74

22.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

$19.39 €17.41

-1.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$14.36 €12.90

-33.15%

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

$668 €600

$777 €698

-14.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$21.7K €19.5K

-18.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

$103 €92.1

-0.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

$48.60 €43.65

-8.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$103 €92.3

-4.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$147 €132

-15.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$939 €843

71.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$816 €733

45.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

$1,365 €1,227

105.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

$1,157 €1,039

73.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

$4,153 €3,730

88.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

$2,919 €2,622

56.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

$2,140 €1,923

-26.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.53

9.07%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Diest: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Diest

$816 39.2% 31.5% $374

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Diest

$339 16.3% 24.6% $67

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Diest

$318 15.3% 30.9% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Diest

$284 13.6% 33.6% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Diest

$180 8.7% 8.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Diest

$65 3.1% 2.3% $1.4

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Diest

$79 3.8% 24.5% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $939 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $87 in Diest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $339 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇧🇪 Diest

🕒 Local time

16:45 4:45 PM

17:45 5:45 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

22,516

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Diest 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Diest

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 Diest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in Lisbon. 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: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $939 in Diest. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 7% less than in Diest. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $777 in Diest. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Diest is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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.