Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sint-Niklaas Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sint-Niklaas

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,998 in Sint-Niklaas.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,955 in Sint-Niklaas.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $3,913 in Sint-Niklaas.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 13% more expensive than Sint-Niklaas, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Sint-Niklaas 49% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$23.12 €19.92

-31.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$92.8 €79.9

-31.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$12.97 €11.17

-19.97%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$4.07 €3.50

-31.45%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$3.44 €2.97

-31.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$3.15 €2.72

-50.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$4.90 €4.22

-30.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$3.93 €3.39

-0.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.33 €1.14

-18.80%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.10 €1.81

-15.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$2.68 €2.31

-36.19%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.56 €3.07

-11.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$12.00 €10.34

14.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$11.71 €10.09

-31.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$17.60 €15.16

-11.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$2.70 €2.33

-15.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.36 €2.03

-30.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.08 €1.79

-6.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$2.68 €2.31

-6.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.19 €1.89

-18.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.72 €1.48

16.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.41 €1.22

39.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.82 €0.71

2.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$12.53 €10.80

-45.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$7.63 €6.57

-25.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.76 €1.52

-21.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.92 €1.65

57.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$2.83 €2.44

-19.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$57.5 €49.51

-20.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$5.96 €5.14

-28.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$2.53 €2.18

-66.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$34.81 €30.00

-47.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.90 €1.64

4.74%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$30.6K €26.4K

14.45%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$28.3K €24.4K

39.64%

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

$146 €126

$197 €170

-25.95%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$25.56 €22.02

-19.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$48.02 €41.37

-18.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$38.20 €32.91

28.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$16.98 €14.63

10.90%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$14.56 €12.54

-34.62%

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

$608 €524

$671 €578

-9.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$13.3K €11.4K

24.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$111 €95.7

-6.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$48.65 €41.92

-13.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$118 €101

-21.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$170 €147

-29.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$856 €737

89.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$766 €660

65.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$1,222 €1,053

149.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$1,004 €865

100.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$3,350 €2,887

128.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$3,036 €2,616

42.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$2,299 €1,981

-31.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.27

16.51%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Sint-Niklaas: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $856 in Sint-Niklaas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sint-Niklaas pays 45% 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 $93.0 in Sint-Niklaas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $309 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 Sint-Niklaas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sint-Niklaas differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,998 including rent). Sint-Niklaas is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sint-Niklaas earns 45% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $856 in Sint-Niklaas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $671 in Sint-Niklaas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 15% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,998 in Sint-Niklaas versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Sint-Niklaas but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sint-Niklaas 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 Sint-Niklaas 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 Sint-Niklaas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.