Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Recklinghausen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Recklinghausen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,908 in Recklinghausen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,856 in Recklinghausen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,804 in Recklinghausen.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 20% more expensive than in Recklinghausen, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Recklinghausen 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$18.66 €16.32

-13.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$86.3 €75.5

-26.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$13.94 €12.19

-25.97%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.60 €3.15

-21.39%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$2.42 €2.12

-5.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.38 €2.08

-33.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$4.80 €4.20

-29.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$4.50 €3.93

-10.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.31 €1.14

-16.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.31 €2.02

-24.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.31 €2.90

-46.83%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.72 €3.25

-14.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$14.96 €13.09

-11.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$14.80 €12.94

-46.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$21.72 €19.01

-28.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.26 €2.85

-27.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.81 €1.58

-5.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.23 €1.95

-9.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$4.73 €4.14

-48.63%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.69 €1.47

4.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.70 €1.49

19.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.89 €1.66

1.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.17 €1.03

-27.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$9.54 €8.34

-31.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$6.70 €5.87

-16.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.07 €0.93

24.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.66 €1.45

78.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$3.39 €2.96

-32.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$62.8 €54.9

-27.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$4.96 €4.34

-14.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.89 €1.65

-57.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$40.83 €35.72

-54.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.99 €1.74

4.52%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$32.0K €28.0K

8.23%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$35.7K €31.3K

9.59%

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

$148 €130

$359 €314

-58.79%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$28.40 €24.85

-27.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$53.1 €46.48

-25.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$40.01 €35.00

19.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$22.91 €20.04

-18.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$13.81 €12.09

-33.24%

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

$616 €539

$468 €409

31.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$9,960 €8,714

65.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$95.0 €83.2

8.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$48.25 €42.22

-13.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$106 €92.4

-10.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$152 €133

-19.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$634 €555

157.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$518 €453

138.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$943 €825

228.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$825 €722

146.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

$2,816 €2,464

-42.92%

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 14, 2026

Last update for Recklinghausen: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $634 in Recklinghausen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Recklinghausen pays 75% 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 $86.0 in Recklinghausen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $360 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 Recklinghausen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Recklinghausen differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,908 including rent). Recklinghausen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 75% lower in Recklinghausen. 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $634 in Recklinghausen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $468 in Recklinghausen. 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 $1,908 in Recklinghausen versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Recklinghausen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Recklinghausen 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 Recklinghausen 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 Recklinghausen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.