Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ludwigshafen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ludwigshafen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,936 in Ludwigshafen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,812 in Ludwigshafen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,689 in Ludwigshafen.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 19% more expensive than in Ludwigshafen, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Ludwigshafen 41% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$17.50 €15.25

0.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$81.1 €70.7

-22.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$12.74 €11.11

-9.11%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.02 €3.51

-22.89%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.95 €2.57

-15.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$2.36 €2.06

-26.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$5.12 €4.46

-32.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.72 €4.12

-27.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.23 €1.07

-6.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.68 €1.46

13.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.91 €2.53

-48.45%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$4.19 €3.65

-5.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$13.65 €11.90

-2.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$11.07 €9.65

-27.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$27.40 €23.89

-34.16%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.78 €2.42

-15.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.48 €1.29

18.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.68 €2.33

-30.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.38 €2.07

7.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.27 €1.11

44.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.36 €1.19

54.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.34 €1.17

11.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.17 €1.02

-29.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$10.15 €8.84

-30.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$7.12 €6.21

-16.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.09 €0.95

20.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.70 €1.48

25.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$3.42 €2.98

-30.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$71.0 €61.9

-34.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$10.14 €8.84

-59.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$3.53 €3.08

-67.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$19.94 €17.38

-14.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.08 €1.81

11.06%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

0.11%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$39.7K €34.6K

4.13%

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

$169 €147

$266 €232

-36.69%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$11.36 €9.90

70.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$46.92 €40.90

-28.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$40.56 €35.36

20.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$28.27 €24.64

-31.27%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$17.01 €14.82

-43.74%

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

$696 €607

$488 €426

42.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$23.2K €20.2K

-25.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$69.0 €60.1

52.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$45.74 €39.88

4.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$88.2 €76.8

14.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$45.96 €40.06

170.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$826 €720

101.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$674 €588

84.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,522 €1,327

94.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$942 €822

117.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$5,270 €4,594

48.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$3,559 €3,103

25.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$3,643 €3,175

-55.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.95

-4.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Ludwigshafen: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $826 in Ludwigshafen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ludwigshafen pays 123% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $81.0 in Ludwigshafen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $330 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 Ludwigshafen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ludwigshafen differ by about 19% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,936 including rent). Ludwigshafen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 123% lower in Ludwigshafen. 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $826 in Ludwigshafen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $488 in Ludwigshafen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 19% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,936 in Ludwigshafen versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ludwigshafen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ludwigshafen 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 Ludwigshafen 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 Ludwigshafen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.