Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Drachten

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,491 in Drachten, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Drachten
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Drachten Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Drachten

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,491

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Drachten

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,491 in Drachten.

Lisbon $2,210
Drachten $2,491

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,653 in Drachten.

Lisbon $3,275
Drachten $3,653

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,816 in Drachten.

Lisbon $4,341
Drachten $4,816

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 11% less than in Drachten, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Drachten 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$24.29 €21.76

-31.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$84.4 €75.7

-26.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$13.49 €12.09

-15.79%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$4.02 €3.60

-26.12%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$3.76 €3.37

-39.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$3.14 €2.82

-44.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$5.56 €4.98

-38.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$5.71 €5.12

-42.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.17 €1.05

-0.85%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$1.35 €1.21

41.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.54 €1.38

-1.95%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$5.04 €4.51

-20.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$12.60 €11.29

2.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$13.58 €12.17

-42.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$12.14 €10.88

46.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.89 €1.70

21.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.40 €2.15

-27.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.87 €1.68

-0.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$3.06 €2.74

-15.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.65 €1.48

10.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.53 €1.37

28.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.24 €1.12

18.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.69 €0.61

4.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$9.17 €8.22

-28.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$6.66 €5.97

-15.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.49 €1.34

-8.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.64 €2.37

-18.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$3.66 €3.28

-36.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$89.6 €80.3

-50.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$4.16 €3.73

-7.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$3.21 €2.88

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$49.57 €44.42

-66.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.25 €2.01

-2.22%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$41.0K €36.8K

-16.64%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$37.5K €33.6K

3.30%

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

$161 €144

$277 €248

-41.73%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$23.94 €21.45

-23.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$49.81 €44.63

-34.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$41.38 €37.08

7.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$26.42 €23.67

-27.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$16.14 €14.46

-40.52%

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

$668 €598

$2,362 €2,117

-71.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$8,090 €7,249

117.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$59.1 €53.0

72.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$44.01 €39.43

1.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$89.3 €80.1

10.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$134 €120

-7.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$1,436 €1,287

12.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$1,158 €1,038

2.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$2,345 €2,102

19.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$1,871 €1,676

7.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$5,630 €5,045

39.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$4,529 €4,059

1.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$2,606 €2,335

-39.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

4.3

-10.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Drachten: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Drachten

$1.2K 46.5% 2.7% $32

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Drachten

$288 11.5% 5.6% $15

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Drachten

$350 14% 44.2% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Drachten

$350 14.1% 65% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Drachten

$147 5.9% 11.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Drachten

$74 3% 15.6% $9.9

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Drachten

$124 5% 96.9% $61

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,436 in Drachten. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Drachten pays 65% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $84 in Drachten for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $288 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇳🇱 Drachten

🕒 Local time

02:14 2:14 AM

03:14 3:14 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

45,186

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Drachten 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

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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

Lisbon is about 11% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, transport, and utilities. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 40% 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 $1,436 in Drachten. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $2,362 in Drachten. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Drachten. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Drachten are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Drachten on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.