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

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,140 in Sint-Truiden.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $3,122 in Sint-Truiden.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $4,104 in Sint-Truiden.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 7% more expensive than in Sint-Truiden, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Sint-Truiden 60% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$22.69 €19.86

-28.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$91.8 €80.3

-31.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$13.41 €11.73

-23.04%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$3.99 €3.49

-29.07%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$3.99 €3.49

-42.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$2.82 €2.47

-43.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$5.26 €4.60

-35.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$6.31 €5.52

-36.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.18 €1.03

-7.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.76 €1.54

-0.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.92 €2.55

-39.73%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$3.53 €3.08

-10.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$14.10 €12.33

-6.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$13.87 €12.13

-42.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$21.78 €19.05

-28.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.17 €2.77

-25.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.58 €2.26

-33.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.61 €2.28

-22.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$3.97 €3.48

-38.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.28 €1.99

-22.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.67 €1.46

21.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.97 €0.85

97.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.84 €0.73

1.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$10.30 €9.01

-36.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$8.38 €7.34

-33.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.78 €1.56

-25.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.27 €1.98

30.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.82 €2.47

-19.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$56.1 €49.07

-18.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$5.68 €4.97

-25.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.50 €2.19

-67.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$36.54 €31.97

-49.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.90 €1.66

9.47%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$34.7K €30.4K

-0.16%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$39.0K €34.1K

0.42%

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

$148 €130

$276 €241

-46.30%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$21.02 €18.39

-2.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$86.9 €76.0

-54.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$39.76 €34.79

20.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$16.87 €14.76

10.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$13.81 €12.08

-33.24%

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

$616 €539

$512 €448

20.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$13.4K €11.7K

22.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$71.2 €62.3

44.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$38.58 €33.76

8.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$107 €94.0

-11.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$133 €117

-8.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$839 €734

94.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$765 €669

61.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$1,165 €1,019

165.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$1,023 €895

98.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$3,888 €3,402

101.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$2,533 €2,216

73.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

90.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Sint-Truiden: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $839 in Sint-Truiden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $92.0 in Sint-Truiden for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 Sint-Truiden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sint-Truiden differ by about 7% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $2,140 including rent). Sint-Truiden is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $3,210 in Sint-Truiden to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $839 in Sint-Truiden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $512 in Sint-Truiden. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,140 in Sint-Truiden versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sint-Truiden but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sint-Truiden 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-Truiden 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-Truiden gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.