Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Nijmegen

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,659 in Nijmegen, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Nijmegen
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Nijmegen Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Nijmegen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,659

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Nijmegen

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,659 in Nijmegen.

Lisbon $2,210
Nijmegen $2,659

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,957 in Nijmegen.

Lisbon $3,275
Nijmegen $3,957

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $5,254 in Nijmegen.

Lisbon $4,341
Nijmegen $5,254

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 17% less than in Nijmegen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Nijmegen 95% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$27.61 €24.75

-39.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$100 €89.7

-38.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$14.66 €13.14

-22.51%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$4.25 €3.81

-30.12%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$3.75 €3.36

-38.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.58 €2.31

-32.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$5.72 €5.13

-40.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$5.97 €5.35

-44.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.47 €1.32

-21.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.13 €1.91

-10.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$2.38 €2.13

-36.55%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$5.34 €4.79

-24.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$13.26 €11.88

-2.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$13.94 €12.49

-44.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$16.76 €15.02

5.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.79 €2.50

-17.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.47 €2.21

-29.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.12 €1.90

-12.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$5.27 €4.73

-50.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$2.09 €1.87

-12.92%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$2.34 €2.10

-15.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$1.28 €1.14

14.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.81 €0.72

-11.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$13.91 €12.47

-52.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$7.10 €6.36

-20.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$1.52 €1.36

-10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.64 €2.37

-18.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$3.37 €3.02

-30.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$140 €125

-68.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$4.04 €3.62

-4.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$3.24 €2.90

-66.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$44.88 €40.22

-63.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.36 €2.11

-6.78%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$41.3K €37.0K

-17.28%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$39.4K €35.3K

-1.72%

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

$161 €144

$286 €256

-43.64%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$22.86 €20.48

-19.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$42.72 €38.28

-23.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$32.15 €28.81

38.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$24.69 €22.12

-22.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$15.89 €14.24

-39.58%

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

$668 €598

$3,160 €2,831

-78.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$16.5K €14.8K

6.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$95.1 €85.3

7.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$43.46 €38.95

2.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$104 €93.3

-5.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$169 €152

-26.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$1,638 €1,467

-1.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$1,159 €1,039

2.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$2,663 €2,386

5.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$1,863 €1,669

8.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$6,131 €5,494

27.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$4,428 €3,968

3.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$3,367 €3,017

-53.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

-3.75%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Nijmegen: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Nijmegen

$1.2K 43.6% 2.6% $31

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Nijmegen

$343 12.9% 26% $71

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Nijmegen

$382 14.4% 57.4% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Nijmegen

$352 13.2% 65.6% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Nijmegen

$185 7% 11.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Nijmegen

$64 2.4% 0.3% $0.2

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Nijmegen

$174 6.5% 175% $111

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,638 in Nijmegen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nijmegen pays about 2.1 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $100 in Nijmegen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $343 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇳🇱 Nijmegen

🕒 Local time

04:51 4:51 AM

05:51 5:51 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

177,359

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Nijmegen 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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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 Nijmegen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,659 in Nijmegen, so Lisbon is about 17% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 53% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,638 in Nijmegen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $3,160 in Nijmegen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Nijmegen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Nijmegen are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Nijmegen on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.