Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Siegen Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Siegen

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Lisbon versus $1,836 in Siegen.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Lisbon versus $2,698 in Siegen.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,397 in Lisbon versus $3,560 in Siegen.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Siegen 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.46

$14.00 €11.92

13.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.8

$54.9 €46.73

17.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.82

$10.53 €8.96

-1.52%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$3.74 €3.18

-22.73%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$3.70 €3.14

-39.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.32

$3.08 €2.62

-49.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.88

$4.57 €3.89

-26.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.32

$4.29 €3.65

-9.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.96

$1.20 €1.02

-6.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$2.14 €1.82

-15.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.49

$2.96 €2.52

-40.88%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.70

$3.71 €3.16

-14.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.49

$14.51 €12.35

-6.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.63

$14.50 €12.34

-46.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.32

$21.02 €17.89

-25.55%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$3.43 €2.92

-33.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.86 €1.58

-8.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.65

$2.19 €1.86

-11.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.15

$4.74 €4.03

-46.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$1.43 €1.22

25.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$1.54 €1.31

33.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.65

$1.80 €1.53

7.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.77 €0.66

5.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.66

$9.95 €8.47

-33.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.92

$5.76 €4.91

0.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.14

$1.06 €0.90

25.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$1.67 €1.42

74.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.00

$4.09 €3.48

-42.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.89

$65.9 €56.1

-30.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.58

$3.77 €3.21

11.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$1.96 €1.66

-58.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.91

$41.09 €34.97

-54.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.98 €1.68

5.56%

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

$34.6K €29.5K

$31.0K €26.3K

11.79%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$35.6K €30.3K

11.29%

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

$146 €124

$352 €299

-58.54%

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

$20.84 €17.73

$31.00 €26.38

-32.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.85

$53.9 €45.86

-26.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.35

$38.26 €32.56

26.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.04

$23.24 €19.78

-18.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.72

$13.73 €11.68

-33.94%

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

$618 €526

$164 €140

276.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.8K

$11.6K €9,876

39.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.0

$95.0 €80.8

10.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.50

$29.24 €24.88

38.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.8

$91.7 €78.1

2.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$127 €108

-3.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,365

$642 €547

149.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,073

$528 €449

138.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,608

$925 €787

231.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,709

$761 €648

163.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,555

$2,964 €2,523

159.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,716

$2,075 €1,766

110.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,394

$2,702 €2,300

-39.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.89

-2.06%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Siegen: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $642 in Siegen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Siegen pays 65% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64 in Lisbon vs $55 in Siegen. Groceries flip the comparison at $268 vs $344, 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 Siegen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Siegen differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,258 vs $1,836 including rent). Siegen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Siegen earns 65% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $642 in Siegen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $618 in Lisbon versus $164 in Siegen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,836 in Siegen versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Siegen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Siegen 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 Siegen 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 Siegen 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.