Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sint-Truiden

For one person, living is cheaper in Sint-Truiden: $2,134 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $910 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Sint-Truiden, Belgium
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Sint-Truiden
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,134
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,134 in Sint-Truiden.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Sint-Truiden $2,134

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,121 in Sint-Truiden.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Sint-Truiden $3,121

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,107 in Sint-Truiden.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Sint-Truiden $4,107

Living in Lisbon is roughly 4% more expensive than in Sint-Truiden.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Sint-Truiden 57% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Sint-Truiden
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$22.48 €20.14
-25.93%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$85.6 €76.7
-27.87%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$13.23 €11.85
-14.13%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$4.27 €3.83
-30.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$3.02 €2.71
-24.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.91 €2.61
-40.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$5.45 €4.88
-37.61%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$4.40 €3.94
-24.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Sint-Truiden
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.08 €0.97
7.41%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$1.74 €1.56
9.77%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$2.15 €1.92
-29.77%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$4.26 €3.82
-5.63%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$15.77 €14.13
-17.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$11.80 €10.57
-34.15%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$21.42 €19.19
-17.09%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$3.03 €2.72
-24.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.52 €2.26
-31.35%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$2.54 €2.28
-26.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$3.98 €3.57
-34.92%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.18 €1.95
-16.51%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.73 €1.55
13.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.52 €1.36
-3.29%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.03 €0.92
-30.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$13.11 €11.75
-49.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$8.17 €7.32
-31.33%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.99 €1.78
-31.66%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.00 €1.79
7.00%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Sint-Truiden
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$3.07 €2.75
-24.10%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
$61.9 €55.4
-27.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$6.25 €5.60
-38.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$2.90 €2.60
-63.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$27.41 €24.56
-39.95%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$2.29 €2.05
-3.93%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$35.4K €31.7K
-3.45%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$35.9K €32.1K
8.00%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Sint-Truiden
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$213 €191
-24.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$21.06 €18.87
-12.58%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$67.7 €60.7
-51.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Sint-Truiden
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$36.09 €32.34
23.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
$17.83 €15.98
7.12%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$14.36 €12.87
-33.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Sint-Truiden
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$728 €653
-8.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$16.7K €15.0K
5.30%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Sint-Truiden
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$100.0 €89.6
2.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$48.18 €43.17
-7.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$103 €92.1
-4.13%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$144 €129
-13.86%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Sint-Truiden
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$923 €827
74.29%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$820 €735
45.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$1,417 €1,270
98.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$1,135 €1,017
77.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$4,358 €3,905
79.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$3,214 €2,880
42.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Sint-Truiden
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.53
9.07%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Sint-Truiden: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Sint-Truiden
$820 31.1% $370
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Sint-Truiden
$344 26.2% $71
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Sint-Truiden
$331 36.2% $88
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Sint-Truiden
$302 42.2% $90
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Sint-Truiden
$178 7% $12
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Sint-Truiden
$65 1.7% $1.1
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Sint-Truiden
$95 50.1% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $923 in Sint-Truiden. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $86 in Sint-Truiden for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $344 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇧🇪 Sint-Truiden
🕒 Local time
09:40 9:40 AM
10:40 10:40 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
40,357
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Sint-Truiden 1,750 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Sint-Truiden

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-Truiden: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Sint-Truiden?
You’d need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $3,201 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Sint-Truiden?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $923 in Sint-Truiden. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Sint-Truiden?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $728 in Sint-Truiden. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 21% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is feasible on a $2,000 budget?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Sint-Truiden is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Sint-Truiden?
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-Truiden safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Sint-Truiden are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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