Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Marburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Marburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,860 in Marburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,917 in Marburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $3,974 in Marburg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 23% more expensive than in Marburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Marburg 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$12.29 €10.64

28.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$57.6 €49.90

10.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$10.55 €9.14

-0.95%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$4.00 €3.46

-27.25%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$2.97 €2.57

-22.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.33 €2.02

-35.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$4.68 €4.05

-23.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$5.27 €4.56

-24.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.28 €1.11

-15.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.33 €2.02

-24.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$3.36 €2.91

-49.40%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$4.21 €3.64

-22.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$15.11 €13.08

-12.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$16.30 €14.12

-52.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$19.33 €16.74

-18.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$3.28 €2.84

-30.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.79 €1.55

-7.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.33 €2.02

-13.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$4.67 €4.04

-47.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.57 €1.36

14.01%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.48 €1.28

39.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.96 €1.70

0.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$1.17 €1.01

-29.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$10.03 €8.68

-34.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$5.74 €4.97

-2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.06 €0.92

25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.67 €1.44

80.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$3.45 €2.98

-34.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$57.4 €49.74

-19.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$5.62 €4.87

-24.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.52 €1.32

-44.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$40.58 €35.14

-53.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.01 €1.74

0.50%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$30.9K €26.8K

13.06%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$37.2K €32.2K

6.55%

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

$148 €128

$265 €229

-44.17%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$34.07 €29.50

-39.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$50.7 €43.89

-22.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$41.05 €35.55

17.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$22.84 €19.78

-19.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$13.27 €11.49

-31.42%

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

$615 €532

$1,116 €967

-44.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$47.2K €40.8K

-65.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$97.3 €84.2

4.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$41.28 €35.75

1.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$93.2 €80.7

-0.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$135 €117

-9.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$798 €691

101.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$582 €504

115.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$1,384 €1,199

121.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$1,224 €1,060

66.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$4,132 €3,578

87.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$3,461 €2,997

23.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$2,881 €2,495

-44.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.98

-4.27%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Marburg: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $798 in Marburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marburg pays 80% 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 $58.0 in Marburg. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $361, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Lisbon and Marburg differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,860 including rent). Marburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 80% lower in Marburg. 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $798 in Marburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $1,116 in Marburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,860 in Marburg versus $2,280 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.

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 Marburg 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 Marburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.