Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Duisburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Duisburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,053 in Duisburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,933 in Duisburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,813 in Duisburg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 12% more expensive than in Duisburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Duisburg 54% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$13.24 €11.59

22.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$69.7 €61.1

-9.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$13.07 €11.45

-21.04%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.99 €3.49

-29.07%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$3.82 €3.34

-40.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$3.23 €2.83

-51.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$5.15 €4.51

-33.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$5.44 €4.76

-25.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.25 €1.10

-12.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.20 €1.93

-20.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.78 €3.31

-53.44%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.56 €3.12

-10.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$15.07 €13.20

-12.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$14.71 €12.88

-45.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$22.88 €20.04

-32.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.21 €2.81

-26.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.93 €1.69

-11.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.24 €1.97

-10.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$4.29 €3.76

-43.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.44 €1.26

22.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.47 €1.29

38.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$2.03 €1.78

-5.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.10 €0.97

-22.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$9.91 €8.68

-33.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$6.81 €5.96

-18.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.09 €0.95

22.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.64 €1.43

81.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$5.67 €4.97

-59.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$57.7 €50.5

-20.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$6.36 €5.57

-33.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.09 €1.83

-61.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$36.50 €31.97

-49.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.99 €1.74

4.52%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$31.9K €28.0K

8.58%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$38.9K €34.0K

0.75%

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

$148 €130

$570 €499

-74.02%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$32.96 €28.86

-37.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$49.16 €43.06

-19.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$31.47 €27.56

52.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$22.82 €19.99

-18.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$15.92 €13.94

-42.09%

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

$616 €540

$256 €225

140.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$9,967 €8,729

64.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$102 €89.5

0.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$41.99 €36.78

-0.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$109 €95.2

-12.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$118 €103

3.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$501 €439

225.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$443 €388

178.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$894 €783

246.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$656 €574

209.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$6,947 €6,084

12.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$3,414 €2,990

28.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$2,947 €2,581

-45.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.98

-4.27%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Duisburg: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $501 in Duisburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Duisburg pays 83% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $70.0 in Duisburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $360 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 Duisburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Duisburg wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Duisburg the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 83% lower in Duisburg. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $501 in Duisburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $256 in Duisburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,053 in Duisburg versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Duisburg but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Duisburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Duisburg delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,053 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Duisburg hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Duisburg 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 Duisburg 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.