Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Enschede

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,363 in Enschede, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. The total is higher in Enschede despite lower rent and utilities.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in Enschede
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Enschede Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Enschede

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Enschede

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,363 in Enschede.

Lisbon $2,202
Enschede $2,363

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $3,680 in Enschede.

Lisbon $3,274
Enschede $3,680

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,996 in Enschede.

Lisbon $4,346
Enschede $4,996

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 7% less than in Enschede, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Enschede 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$21.35 €18.99

-20.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$79.9 €71.1

-22.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$15.56 €13.84

-29.18%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$4.06 €3.62

-23.15%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$3.55 €3.16

-36.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.88 €2.57

-39.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$6.02 €5.35

-43.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$6.31 €5.61

-40.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.35 €1.20

-13.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.50 €2.22

-25.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.64 €2.35

-41.67%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$4.39 €3.91

-7.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$13.75 €12.23

-6.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$14.53 €12.92

-45.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$14.76 €13.13

19.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.69 €2.39

-15.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.19 €1.95

-20.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.19 €1.95

-13.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$4.77 €4.24

-46.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$3.12 €2.77

-40.71%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.13 €1.90

-7.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.20 €1.06

20.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.76 €0.67

1.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$14.10 €12.54

-52.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$6.65 €5.91

-14.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.44 €1.28

-4.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.97 €2.64

-28.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$2.96 €2.64

-21.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$113 €101

-60.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$3.76 €3.34

5.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$2.56 €2.28

-58.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$27.53 €24.49

-37.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.54 €2.26

-13.78%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$41.9K €37.2K

-19.31%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$38.9K €34.6K

-1.63%

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

$164 €146

$262 €233

-37.51%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$21.36 €19.00

-13.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$44.78 €39.83

-26.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$34.20 €30.42

34.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$24.17 €21.50

-22.71%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$19.13 €17.02

-49.03%

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

$684 €608

$1,198 €1,065

-42.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$7,959 €7,079

121.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$93.5 €83.1

11.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$37.39 €33.26

23.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$91.6 €81.5

8.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$101 €89.7

23.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$1,334 €1,187

19.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$1,002 €892

16.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$2,509 €2,232

13.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$1,994 €1,774

-0.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$4,629 €4,118

68.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$3,233 €2,876

36.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$2,857 €2,541

-43.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

4.6

-16.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Enschede: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Enschede

$1K 42.4% 14.2% $167

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Enschede

$338 14.3% 23.7% $65

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Enschede

$335 14.2% 35.2% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Enschede

$328 13.9% 52.5% $113

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Enschede

$145 6.2% 13.6% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Enschede

$72 3.1% 10.8% $7.1

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Enschede

$141 6% 125% $79

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,334 in Enschede. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Enschede pays 79% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $80.0 in Enschede for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $338 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇳🇱 Enschede

🕒 Local time

00:29 12:29 AM

01:29 1:29 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

161,235

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Enschede 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

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Lisbon
Enschede

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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 Enschede: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Enschede differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $2,363 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 79% lower in Enschede. 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: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,334 in Enschede. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $2,363 in Enschede – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 154% less than in Enschede. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,363 in Enschede, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Enschede. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Enschede 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Enschede. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.