Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Emmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Emmen: $1,892 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
91

Cost of Living Index in Emmen
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Emmen Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Emmen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$1,892

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Emmen

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,892 in Emmen, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Emmen $1,892

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $2,917 in Emmen, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Emmen $2,917

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $3,942 in Emmen, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Emmen $3,942

Lisbon costs about 17% more than Emmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both Lisbon and Emmen sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Emmen by 39%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.87

$22.22 €19.85

-25.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.2

$82.1 €73.3

-24.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.14

$13.56 €12.11

-16.22%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.65

$3.41 €3.04

-12.90%

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

$2.29 €2.04

$3.37 €3.01

-32.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$3.38 €3.02

-48.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.04

$5.72 €5.11

-40.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.96

$4.36 €3.90

-24.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.03

$1.03 €0.92

12.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.21 €1.97

-13.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.35

$2.75 €2.45

-45.09%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.59

$4.35 €3.89

-7.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.56

$11.94 €10.66

8.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.94

$12.73 €11.37

-38.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.86

$16.42 €14.67

8.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.61 €2.33

-11.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.43 €2.17

-28.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.80 €1.61

3.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.31

$3.20 €2.86

-19.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.81 €1.62

0.55%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.85 €1.65

6.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.31

$1.19 €1.06

23.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.70 €0.62

2.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.88

$12.34 €11.02

-46.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.01

$6.52 €5.82

-13.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.27 €1.13

7.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.63 €2.35

-18.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.08

$2.19 €1.95

6.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €39.91

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.44

$8.33 €7.44

-53.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.99 €1.78

-46.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.70

$22.02 €19.67

-25.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.36 €2.11

-6.78%

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

$34.2K €30.5K

$42.0K €37.5K

-18.55%

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

$38.7K €34.6K

$39.8K €35.5K

-2.59%

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

$161 €144

$166 €148

-2.90%

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

$18.41 €16.44

$18.60 €16.62

-1.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.24

$54.8 €48.99

-40.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.79

$41.08 €36.69

8.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.06

$22.11 €19.75

-13.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.57

$13.21 €11.80

-27.33%

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

$668 €596

$2,653 €2,369

-74.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$7,951 €7,102

121.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.1

$77.3 €69.0

32.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.72

$40.60 €36.26

9.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.0

$88.2 €78.8

11.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €110

$102 €91.2

21.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,437

$878 €784

83.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,063

$789 €705

50.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,512

$1,674 €1,495

68.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,798

$1,367 €1,221

47.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,002

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,087

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,407

$2,753 €2,459

-42.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.65

5.48%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Emmen: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Emmen

$789 41.7% 33.7% $401

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Emmen

$307 16.2% 12.8% $35

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Emmen

$324 17.1% 33.4% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Emmen

$239 12.7% 12.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Emmen

$139 7.3% 16.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Emmen

$68 3.6% 5.9% $3.8

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Emmen

$27 * 1.4% 57.2% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $878 in Emmen. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 75% higher in Emmen, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $82 in Emmen. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $307 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇳🇱 Emmen

🕒 Local time

00:14 12:14 AM

01:14 1:14 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

108,765

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Emmen 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Emmen

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 Emmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $1,892 in Emmen – Emmen comes out roughly 14% cheaper. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in transport.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $2,839 in Emmen. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Emmen, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $878 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $82 in Emmen. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 11% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

$3,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,892 in Emmen, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,892 in Emmen to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.