Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Gent

For one person, living costs are similar in Lisbon and in Gent: $2,223 and $2,224 a month, rent and utilities included.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Gent
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Gent Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Gent

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,224

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Gent

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

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Lisbon vs $2,224 in Gent, rent included.

Lisbon $2,223
Gent $2,224

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Lisbon vs $3,455 in Gent, rent included.

Lisbon $3,271
Gent $3,455

A family of three spends $4,319 per month in Lisbon vs $4,686 in Gent, rent included.

Lisbon $4,319
Gent $4,686

Lisbon and Gent have comparable living costs – the differences are in the details.

Both Lisbon and Gent sit above the global median – Lisbon by 65%, Gent by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$21.97 €19.54

-24.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$114 €101

-46.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$15.65 €13.92

-27.99%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$4.31 €3.83

-29.00%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$3.35 €2.98

-32.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$2.94 €2.62

-41.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$5.64 €5.01

-39.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$5.66 €5.03

-39.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.21 €1.07

-7.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.83 €2.52

-34.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.13 €1.89

-28.17%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$3.98 €3.54

-0.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$18.55 €16.50

-31.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$12.36 €11.00

-36.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$19.82 €17.63

-14.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.79 €2.48

-18.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.41 €2.14

-27.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.54 €2.26

-27.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$2.94 €2.61

-12.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.13 €1.89

-12.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.95 €1.73

3.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.37 €1.21

5.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$1.07 €0.96

-23.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$13.04 €11.60

-49.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$9.06 €8.06

-37.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.98 €1.76

-35.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$2.47 €2.19

-16.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$3.28 €2.92

-28.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$59.3 €52.8

-25.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$11.25 €10.01

-64.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.84 €2.53

-61.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$50.5 €44.95

-67.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.01 €1.79

13.43%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$34.8K €31.0K

-3.27%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$33.8K €30.0K

16.39%

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

$167 €149

$219 €195

-23.55%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$20.47 €18.21

-8.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$47.05 €41.85

-29.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$35.69 €31.74

28.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$13.07 €11.63

46.82%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$15.73 €14.00

-37.44%

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

$677 €602

$567 €504

19.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$20.9K €18.6K

-19.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$109 €96.9

-7.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$46.20 €41.10

-0.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$107 €95.6

-6.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$150 €134

-18.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$1,190 €1,059

35.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$891 €792

34.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$1,800 €1,601

58.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$1,529 €1,360

30.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$5,213 €4,637

45.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$3,087 €2,746

39.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$3,680 €3,274

-56.86%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.2

20.31%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Gent: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Gent

$891 40.1% 25.6% $306

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Gent

$357 16% 32.4% $87

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Gent

$339 15.2% 40% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Gent

$287 12.9% 30.6% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Gent

$186 8.4% 11.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Gent

$67 3% 2.2% $1.5

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Gent

$98 4.4% 55.4% $35

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,614 in Lisbon versus $1,190 in Gent. 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 132% higher in Gent. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Lisbon versus $114 in Gent. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $357 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇧🇪 Gent

🕒 Local time

17:44 5:44 PM

18:44 6:44 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

237,000

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Gent 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Lisbon
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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 Gent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,335 per month in Lisbon and $3,336 in Gent. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 32% more in Gent, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

Kindergarten costs $677 per month in Lisbon and $567 in Gent. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Lisbon, where all-in costs run around $2,223, than in Gent at $2,224. In Lisbon it covers expenses comfortably, while in Gent it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Lisbon – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Gent makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.