Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Dusseldorf

For one person, living costs are similar in Lisbon and in Dusseldorf: $2,223 and $2,285 a month, rent and utilities included.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Dusseldorf
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,285
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Dusseldorf

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,285 in Dusseldorf.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Dusseldorf $2,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $3,476 in Dusseldorf.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Dusseldorf $3,476

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $4,668 in Dusseldorf.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Dusseldorf $4,668

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 3% less than in Dusseldorf, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Dusseldorf 69% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Dusseldorf
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$16.41 €14.60
0.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$70.4 €62.6
-13.01%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$13.53 €12.03
-16.70%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$4.23 €3.76
-27.66%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$3.09 €2.75
-26.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$2.91 €2.59
-40.55%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$5.12 €4.55
-33.79%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$4.40 €3.91
-22.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Dusseldorf
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.32 €1.17
-15.15%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$2.39 €2.13
-22.18%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$2.99 €2.66
-48.83%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$4.33 €3.85
-8.55%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$15.10 €13.43
-15.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$13.05 €11.61
-39.46%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$22.49 €20.00
-24.54%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$3.18 €2.83
-28.62%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$2.17 €1.93
-19.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.14 €1.90
-13.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$4.23 €3.76
-39.24%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.20 €1.07
55.00%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.21 €1.07
66.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.64 €1.46
-12.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$1.25 €1.11
-34.40%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$9.42 €8.38
-30.36%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$6.65 €5.91
-15.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.11 €0.99
15.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$1.70 €1.52
21.76%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Dusseldorf
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$4.01 €3.57
-41.40%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
$69.6 €61.9
-36.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$5.46 €4.86
-26.92%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$3.04 €2.71
-64.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$47.97 €42.67
-65.31%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.28 €2.02
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$32.6K €29.0K
3.42%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$38.3K €34.0K
2.69%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Dusseldorf
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$339 €302
-50.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$19.47 €17.32
-3.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$41.64 €37.04
-20.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Dusseldorf
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$43.15 €38.38
6.63%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
$35.20 €31.31
-45.48%
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$15.91 €14.15
-38.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Dusseldorf
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$1,070 €952
-36.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$19.7K €17.5K
-14.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Dusseldorf
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$102 €91.0
-1.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$41.11 €36.57
11.31%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$112 €100
-11.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$167 €149
-26.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Dusseldorf
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$1,077 €958
49.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$878 €781
36.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$2,358 €2,097
21.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$1,669 €1,485
19.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
$8,943 €7,955
-15.28%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
$4,892 €4,351
-11.96%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Dusseldorf
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$3,778 €3,360
-57.97%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.91
-1.53%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Dusseldorf: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Dusseldorf
$878 26.6% $319
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Dusseldorf
$353 31% $83
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Dusseldorf
$281 16% $39
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Dusseldorf
$400 82.5% $181
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Dusseldorf
$191 14.5% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Dusseldorf
$75 14.1% $9.3
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Dusseldorf
$106 68.8% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $1,077 in Dusseldorf. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dusseldorf pays 138% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $70.0 in Dusseldorf for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $353 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇩🇪 Dusseldorf
🕒 Local time
15:47 3:47 PM
16:47 4:47 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
618,128
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Dusseldorf 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Dusseldorf

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 Dusseldorf: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dusseldorf cheaper than Lisbon?
Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 3% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
Where can you earn more: Lisbon or Dusseldorf?
On paper, salaries run 138% lower in Dusseldorf. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
What is the rent difference between Lisbon and Dusseldorf?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $1,077 in Dusseldorf. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Is eating out cheaper in Lisbon or in Dusseldorf?
Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $70.0 in Dusseldorf. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
What are total monthly expenses in Lisbon and in Dusseldorf?
All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $2,285 in Dusseldorf – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Is $3,000 a realistic budget for living in Lisbon or in Dusseldorf?
At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,285 in Dusseldorf, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Dusseldorf. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is Lisbon or Dusseldorf more family-friendly?
For families, Lisbon is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Dusseldorf, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Which city is safer, Lisbon or Dusseldorf?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Dusseldorf are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is easier to live in as a foreigner?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Dusseldorf. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

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