Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sint-Niklaas

For one person, living is cheaper in Sint-Niklaas: $2,078 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Sint-Niklaas
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,078
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Sint-Niklaas

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 Sint-Niklaas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,078 in Sint-Niklaas.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Sint-Niklaas $2,078

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,986 in Sint-Niklaas.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Sint-Niklaas $2,986

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,895 in Sint-Niklaas.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Sint-Niklaas $3,895

Living in Lisbon is roughly 6% more expensive than in Sint-Niklaas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Sint-Niklaas 53% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Sint-Niklaas
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$22.49 €20.15
-25.97%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$79.2 €71.0
-22.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$13.31 €11.93
-14.65%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$4.33 €3.88
-31.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$2.92 €2.61
-21.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.81 €2.52
-38.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$5.64 €5.06
-39.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$4.45 €3.98
-25.62%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Sint-Niklaas
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.37 €1.23
-15.33%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$2.62 €2.35
-27.10%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$2.01 €1.80
-24.88%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$3.93 €3.52
2.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$11.72 €10.50
10.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$11.74 €10.52
-33.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$19.35 €17.34
-8.22%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$2.79 €2.50
-17.56%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.13 €1.91
-18.78%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.15 €1.93
-13.49%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$2.30 €2.06
12.61%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.21 €1.98
-17.65%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.71 €1.54
15.20%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.49 €1.33
-1.34%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.95 €0.85
-24.21%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$13.19 €11.82
-50.11%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$7.35 €6.59
-23.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.88 €1.69
-27.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$1.84 €1.65
16.30%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Sint-Niklaas
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$2.77 €2.49
-15.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$5.66 €5.08
-31.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$2.42 €2.17
-55.79%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$25.61 €22.95
-35.73%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.98 €1.78
11.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$36.0K €32.3K
-5.11%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$36.8K €32.9K
5.33%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Sint-Niklaas
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$214 €192
-24.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$21.95 €19.67
-16.13%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$48.42 €43.39
-32.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Sint-Niklaas
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$35.53 €31.84
25.39%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$14.46 €12.96
-33.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Sint-Niklaas
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$738 €662
-9.59%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$16.1K €14.4K
9.72%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Sint-Niklaas
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$113 €102
-9.93%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$53.7 €48.11
-17.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$104 €93.5
-5.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$169 €151
-26.79%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Sint-Niklaas
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$937 €840
71.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$852 €763
39.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$1,385 €1,241
103.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$1,137 €1,019
77.03%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$3,282 €2,941
138.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$2,809 €2,517
62.91%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Sint-Niklaas
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$4,709 €4,220
-66.56%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.52
9.38%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sint-Niklaas: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Sint-Niklaas
$852 28.4% $338
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Sint-Niklaas
$318 16.7% $45
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Sint-Niklaas
$332 36.8% $89
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Sint-Niklaas
$285 34% $72
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Sint-Niklaas
$198 19.4% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Sint-Niklaas
$64 1.1% $0.7
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Sint-Niklaas
$29 * 54.3% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $937 in Sint-Niklaas. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sint-Niklaas pays about 3 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $79 in Sint-Niklaas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $318 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇧🇪 Sint-Niklaas
🕒 Local time
13:50 1:50 PM
14:50 2:50 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
69,010
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Sint-Niklaas 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Sint-Niklaas

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Sint-Niklaas?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $2,078 in Sint-Niklaas, so Sint-Niklaas is about 6% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 67% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Sint-Niklaas?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $937 in Sint-Niklaas. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 14% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Sint-Niklaas?
All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $2,078 in Sint-Niklaas – Sint-Niklaas is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How far does $3,000 go in Lisbon compared to Sint-Niklaas?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Sint-Niklaas gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Sint-Niklaas?
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.
Is Lisbon or Sint-Niklaas safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Sint-Niklaas are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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