Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Jena

For one person, living is cheaper in Jena: $1,801 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Jena
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Jena Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Jena

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,801

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Jena

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

A single person spends $2,206 per month in Lisbon vs $1,801 in Jena, rent included.

Lisbon $2,206
Jena $1,801

A couple spends around $3,276 per month in Lisbon vs $2,680 in Jena, rent included.

Lisbon $3,276
Jena $2,680

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $3,559 in Jena, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Jena $3,559

Lisbon costs about 22% more than Jena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both Lisbon and Jena sit above the global median – Lisbon by 63%, Jena by 33%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €14.98

$13.45 €11.95

25.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.2

$63.7 €56.6

-4.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.75

$11.01 €9.78

-0.27%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.71

$4.21 €3.74

-27.55%

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

$2.28 €2.03

$3.02 €2.68

-24.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.49

$3.02 €2.68

-44.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.05

$5.62 €4.99

-38.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.47

$4.50 €3.99

-13.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.02

$1.17 €1.04

-1.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.06 €1.83

-8.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.33

$2.72 €2.42

-44.85%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.66

$3.84 €3.41

7.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.55

$14.63 €12.99

-11.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.15

$11.32 €10.06

-28.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €15.89

$19.08 €16.95

-6.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$3.02 €2.68

-24.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.55

$1.80 €1.60

-3.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.62

$2.14 €1.90

-14.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.39

$3.83 €3.40

-29.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.57

$1.33 €1.18

33.08%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.72

$1.17 €1.04

65.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.30

$1.51 €1.34

-3.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$1.24 €1.10

-38.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.91

$9.62 €8.54

-30.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

$5.42 €4.81

4.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.01 €0.90

27.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.90

$1.39 €1.24

53.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.04

$2.94 €2.61

-21.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.10

$69.6 €61.8

-36.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.54

$5.16 €4.58

-22.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$2.70 €2.40

-76.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.81

$33.87 €30.09

-44.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.02

$2.12 €1.88

7.55%

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

$33.4K €29.6K

$30.7K €27.3K

8.71%

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

$38.5K €34.2K

$38.1K €33.9K

0.94%

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

$158 €141

$395 €351

-59.93%

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

$17.54 €15.58

$21.45 €19.05

-18.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.70

$40.91 €36.34

-23.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.66

$36.19 €32.15

23.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.86

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.51

$9.89 €8.78

-3.13%

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

$674 €598

$909 €807

-25.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.6K

$17.0K €15.1K

9.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €90.8

$87.1 €77.4

17.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €40.77

$41.64 €36.99

10.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €90.8

$108 €96.2

-5.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €108

$118 €105

3.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,457

$703 €624

133.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,055

$459 €408

158.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,509

$1,247 €1,107

126.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,793

$842 €748

139.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €6,960

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,176

$2,797 €2,484

68.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,499

$3,268 €2,903

-48.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

3.96

-3.54%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Jena: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Jena

$459 25.5% 61.3% $728

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Jena

$316 17.5% 15% $41

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Jena

$252 14% 2.9% $7.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Jena

$457 25.4% 121% $250

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Jena

$160 8.9% 4.6% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Jena

$56 3.1% 12.3% $7.8

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Jena

$100 5.6% 65.6% $40

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,641 in Lisbon versus $703 in Jena. 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 94% higher in Jena, 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 $61 in Lisbon versus $64 in Jena. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $275 vs $316 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇩🇪 Jena

🕒 Local time

18:43 6:43 PM

19:43 7:43 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

111,343

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.13 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Jena 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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 Jena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 22% more than Jena, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from leisure. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,309 per month in Lisbon and $2,701 in Jena. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Jena, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $703 there versus $1,641 in Lisbon.

Kindergarten costs $674 per month in Lisbon and $909 in Jena. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Interestingly, groceries are about 13% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Jena, where all-in costs run around $1,801, than in Lisbon at $2,206. In Jena it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,801 in Jena to $2,206 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.