Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Marburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Marburg: $1,730 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Marburg, Germany
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Marburg
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,730
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Marburg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,730 in Marburg.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Marburg $1,730

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,714 in Marburg.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Marburg $2,714

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,698 in Marburg.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Marburg $3,698

Living in Lisbon is roughly 28% more expensive than in Marburg.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Marburg 27% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Marburg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$14.38 €12.89
15.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$56.6 €50.7
9.14%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$9.92 €8.89
14.52%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$3.90 €3.49
-23.85%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.35 €2.10
-2.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.04 €1.83
-14.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$4.83 €4.33
-29.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$5.44 €4.87
-39.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Marburg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.50 €1.34
-22.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$2.24 €2.01
-14.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$3.87 €3.46
-60.98%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$3.86 €3.46
4.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$15.94 €14.28
-18.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$10.66 €9.55
-27.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$18.87 €16.91
-5.88%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$3.24 €2.91
-29.01%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.99 €1.79
-13.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.22 €1.99
-16.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$3.96 €3.55
-34.60%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.14 €1.02
59.65%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.10 €0.98
79.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.48 €1.32
-0.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.09 €0.97
-33.94%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$10.06 €9.02
-34.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$5.75 €5.15
-2.43%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.09 €0.97
24.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$1.58 €1.42
35.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Marburg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$3.73 €3.35
-37.53%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
$66.1 €59.2
-32.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$5.66 €5.07
-31.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$2.20 €1.97
-51.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$38.81 €34.78
-57.59%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.10 €1.88
4.76%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$32.2K €28.9K
6.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$39.0K €34.9K
-0.62%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Marburg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$257 €231
-37.38%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$16.93 €15.17
8.74%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$39.60 €35.48
-17.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Marburg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$40.91 €36.66
8.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$10.65 €9.54
-9.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Marburg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$1,103 €989
-39.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$44.7K €40.0K
-60.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Marburg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$95.9 €85.9
6.41%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$40.92 €36.67
8.65%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$91.2 €81.7
8.03%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$143 €128
-13.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Marburg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$741 €664
117.10%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$517 €463
130.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$1,535 €1,376
83.17%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$1,122 €1,006
79.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$4,050 €3,629
93.57%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$3,396 €3,043
34.74%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Marburg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$2,902 €2,601
-45.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
4.03
-4.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Marburg: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Marburg
$517 56.5% $673
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Marburg
$328 20.3% $55
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Marburg
$244 0.6% $1.5
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Marburg
$314 47.9% $102
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Marburg
$167 0.7% $1.2
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Marburg
$62 2.4% $1.5
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Marburg
$98 54.5% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $741 in Marburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marburg pays 84% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $57 in Marburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $272 vs $328, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇩🇪 Marburg
🕒 Local time
17:29 5:29 PM
18:29 6:29 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
73,125
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Marburg 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Marburg

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 Marburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Marburg?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,730 in Marburg, so Marburg is about 22% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Marburg?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $741 in Marburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Marburg?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $1,103 in Marburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,730 in Marburg versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marburg but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Marburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Marburg?
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.
Is Lisbon or Marburg safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Marburg are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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