Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kiel Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kiel

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,989 in Kiel.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $2,986 in Kiel.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $3,984 in Kiel.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 11% more expensive than in Kiel, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Kiel 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$17.42 €15.20

-9.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$76.7 €66.9

-18.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$11.74 €10.24

-10.22%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$4.07 €3.55

-31.94%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$3.21 €2.80

-28.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$2.27 €1.98

-31.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$5.88 €5.13

-39.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$4.55 €3.97

-12.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.26 €1.10

-14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$2.13 €1.86

-16.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$3.30 €2.88

-46.36%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$3.95 €3.45

-21.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$14.70 €12.83

-9.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$13.57 €11.84

-41.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$22.13 €19.31

-28.06%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$3.22 €2.81

-29.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$2.17 €1.89

-8.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$4.95 €4.32

-50.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$1.54 €1.35

14.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.41 €1.23

39.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$1.98 €1.73

-0.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.81 €0.71

-1.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$9.61 €8.38

-31.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$6.56 €5.72

-12.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$1.12 €0.98

17.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$1.65 €1.44

81.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$2.87 €2.51

-18.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

$57.5 €50.2

-20.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$4.82 €4.20

-11.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$2.12 €1.85

-60.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$25.26 €22.04

-25.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$2.01 €1.75

2.99%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$31.9K €27.8K

10.51%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$36.7K €32.1K

5.06%

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

$151 €132

$324 €283

-53.41%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$24.18 €21.10

-13.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$53.5 €46.71

-26.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

$37.75 €32.94

28.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

$22.95 €20.02

-18.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$17.34 €15.13

-47.87%

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

$610 €532

$306 €267

99.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$9,139 €7,974

78.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$75.4 €65.8

34.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$46.51 €40.58

-12.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$99.9 €87.2

-6.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$133 €116

-11.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

$655 €571

144.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

$637 €556

94.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

$1,608 €1,403

87.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

$1,074 €937

91.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

$5,422 €4,731

47.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

$2,851 €2,488

58.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

$3,351 €2,924

-51.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.96

-3.79%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Kiel: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $655 in Kiel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kiel pays 106% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $77.0 in Kiel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $348 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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 Kiel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Kiel differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $1,989 including rent). Kiel is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 106% lower in Kiel. 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $655 in Kiel. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Dining out is cheaper in Kiel – a meal for two runs $77.0 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,989 in Kiel versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Kiel but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kiel the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kiel is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Kiel 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 Kiel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.