Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rijswijk Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Rijswijk

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,605 in Rijswijk.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,843 in Rijswijk.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $5,080 in Rijswijk.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 15% less than in Rijswijk, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Rijswijk 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$23.55 €20.28

-32.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$106 €91.4

-38.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$9.32 €8.03

12.77%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.66 €4.01

-38.41%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$3.48 €3.00

-35.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.96 €2.55

-49.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$6.99 €6.02

-50.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$6.92 €5.96

-43.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.42 €1.22

-19.72%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.40 €2.07

-27.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.77 €1.53

-0.56%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$5.11 €4.40

-36.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$14.03 €12.08

-3.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$14.53 €12.51

-45.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$16.21 €13.96

-2.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.85 €2.45

-18.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.58 €2.22

-34.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.22 €1.91

-9.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$4.86 €4.19

-49.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.05 €1.77

-10.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.71 €1.47

16.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.35 €1.16

42.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.21 €1.05

-34.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$14.62 €12.59

-54.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$5.98 €5.15

-4.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.67 €1.44

-17.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.04 €2.61

-2.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.64 €3.14

-34.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$91.6 €78.8

-50.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.74 €4.08

-9.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$3.13 €2.69

-73.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$64.9 €55.9

-71.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.12 €1.83

-2.83%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$44.1K €38.0K

-22.24%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$38.6K €33.2K

1.81%

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

$148 €127

$306 €263

-51.63%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$21.74 €18.72

-5.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$51.0 €43.93

-22.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$41.10 €35.39

16.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$23.51 €20.24

-19.52%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$17.20 €14.81

-46.63%

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

$614 €529

$2,779 €2,393

-77.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$7,870 €6,777

103.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$99.9 €86.0

4.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$49.58 €42.69

-15.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$126 €109

-25.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$136 €117

-12.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,447 €1,246

12.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$1,189 €1,024

5.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$2,287 €1,969

32.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,742 €1,500

15.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$3,910 €3,367

-59.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.02

-5.22%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Rijswijk: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,447 in Rijswijk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rijswijk pays 144% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $106 in Rijswijk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $348 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 Rijswijk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Rijswijk differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,605 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Rijswijk earns 144% less. 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,447 in Rijswijk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $2,779 in Rijswijk. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 29% higher in Rijswijk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Rijswijk 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Rijswijk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.