Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Drachten Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Drachten

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,966 in Drachten.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,869 in Drachten.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,773 in Drachten.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 12% more expensive than Drachten, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Drachten 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$18.87 €16.25

-15.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$72.2 €62.2

-10.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$12.74 €10.97

-17.50%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.50 €3.01

-18.00%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$3.13 €2.69

-28.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.43 €2.09

-38.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$5.77 €4.97

-39.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$3.93 €3.39

-1.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.21 €1.05

-5.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.39 €1.19

25.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.57 €1.36

12.10%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$4.78 €4.11

-32.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$14.00 €12.05

-3.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$13.93 €11.99

-43.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$12.61 €10.86

25.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.39 €2.06

-3.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.51 €2.16

-32.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.92 €1.65

4.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$3.31 €2.85

-25.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.78 €1.53

3.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.65 €1.42

21.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.22 €1.05

58.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.68 €0.58

16.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$9.27 €7.98

-28.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$7.18 €6.18

-20.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.36 €1.17

0.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.71 €2.33

9.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$4.11 €3.54

-42.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$45.34 €39.04

0.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.30 €3.70

-0.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.62 €2.26

-68.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$51.9 €44.72

-64.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.17 €1.87

-5.07%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$44.6K €38.4K

-23.18%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$39.2K €33.8K

0.23%

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

$148 €127

$267 €230

-44.58%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$30.31 €26.10

-32.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$51.1 €44.04

-22.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$57.4 €49.46

-16.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$22.78 €19.62

-16.94%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$15.15 €13.05

-39.41%

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

$614 €529

$1,896 €1,633

-67.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$6,148 €5,294

161.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$93.3 €80.3

12.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$45.45 €39.14

-7.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$86.6 €74.6

8.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$90.8 €78.2

31.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$915 €788

77.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$763 €657

64.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,382 €1,190

119.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,055 €908

91.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$4,648 €4,003

67.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$3,550 €3,057

20.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$2,669 €2,298

-39.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.25

17.23%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Drachten: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $915 in Drachten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Drachten pays 66% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $72.0 in Drachten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $300 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 Drachten: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Drachten is cheaper overall, especially in Clothing & Footwear. The 12% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Drachten earns 66% less. 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $915 in Drachten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $1,896 in Drachten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 11% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,966 in Drachten versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Drachten but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Drachten the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Drachten is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Drachten 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 Drachten gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.