Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dortmund Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dortmund

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $2,115 in Dortmund.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $3,205 in Dortmund.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $4,295 in Dortmund.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 7% more expensive than in Dortmund, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Dortmund 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$17.52 €15.11

0.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$81.2 €70.0

-20.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$12.62 €10.88

-7.69%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.93 €3.38

-17.05%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$3.14 €2.71

-20.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$3.06 €2.64

-45.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$5.85 €5.05

-40.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$5.18 €4.47

-30.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.43 €1.24

-17.48%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$2.44 €2.10

-20.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$3.95 €3.40

-60.51%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$4.00 €3.44

0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$16.07 €13.85

-17.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$12.20 €10.52

-30.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$24.50 €21.12

-25.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.47 €2.99

-33.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.38 €2.05

-27.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.32 €2.00

-16.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.21 €3.63

-37.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.31 €1.13

45.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.60 €1.38

31.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.61 €1.39

-10.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.14 €0.98

-29.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$9.93 €8.56

-29.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$6.81 €5.87

-13.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.12 €0.97

21.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.77 €1.52

21.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$4.20 €3.62

-43.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$67.3 €58.0

-31.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$5.87 €5.06

-28.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$2.07 €1.78

8.70%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$34.1K €29.4K

1.20%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$39.3K €33.9K

5.96%

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

$171 €147

$427 €368

-59.93%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$32.26 €27.81

-41.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$53.2 €45.82

-35.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$40.29 €34.73

23.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$28.30 €24.39

-31.06%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$17.33 €14.94

-41.72%

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

$699 €603

$428 €369

63.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$28.7K €24.7K

-38.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$94.7 €81.6

10.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$53.0 €45.66

-9.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$88.4 €76.2

15.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$178 €154

-28.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$763 €658

117.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$611 €527

101.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,299 €1,120

124.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$1,147 €989

76.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$3,195 €2,754

154.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$2,298 €1,981

101.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$3,310 €2,853

-51.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.95

-4.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Dortmund: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $763 in Dortmund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dortmund pays 104% 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 $81.0 in Dortmund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $365 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 Dortmund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Dortmund differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $2,115 including rent). Dortmund is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 104% lower in Dortmund. 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 $763 in Dortmund. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Dortmund – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $2,115 in Dortmund – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,115 in Dortmund versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dortmund but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Dortmund the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Dortmund delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,115 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Dortmund hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Dortmund 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 Dortmund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.