Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and The Hague

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,733 in The Hague, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in The Hague
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The Hague Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

The Hague

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in The Hague

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 The Hague actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,733 in The Hague.

Lisbon $2,223
The Hague $2,733

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $4,089 in The Hague.

Lisbon $3,271
The Hague $4,089

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $5,446 in The Hague.

Lisbon $4,319
The Hague $5,446

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 19% less than in The Hague, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, The Hague 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

$22.35 €19.88

-26.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

$87.5 €77.8

-29.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

$14.89 €13.24

-24.31%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

$4.39 €3.91

-30.30%

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

$2.26 €2.01

$4.28 €3.81

-47.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

$4.08 €3.63

-57.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

$7.16 €6.37

-52.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

$7.64 €6.79

-55.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.49 €1.33

-24.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$2.29 €2.04

-18.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.51 €2.23

-39.04%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$4.73 €4.20

-16.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$14.45 €12.85

-11.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$13.18 €11.73

-40.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$19.25 €17.12

-11.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$2.53 €2.25

-10.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.23 €1.99

-21.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.98 €1.76

-6.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$3.60 €3.20

-28.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.30 €1.16

43.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.28 €1.14

57.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$1.12 €0.99

28.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$0.93 €0.83

-11.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$14.47 €12.87

-54.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

$5.89 €5.24

-4.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.33 €1.19

-3.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$1.95 €1.74

6.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

$4.59 €4.08

-48.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

$91.1 €81.0

-51.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$4.54 €4.03

-12.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$3.32 €2.95

-67.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$33.71 €29.99

-50.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$2.52 €2.24

-9.52%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

$41.4K €36.9K

-18.72%

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

$39.3K €35.0K

$39.5K €35.1K

-0.50%

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

$167 €149

$281 €250

-40.50%

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

$18.80 €16.72

$28.39 €25.25

-33.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

$54.3 €48.31

-39.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$50.4 €44.82

-8.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$23.94 €21.30

-19.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$16.49 €14.67

-40.33%

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

$677 €602

$2,400 €2,135

-71.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$11.6K €10.3K

46.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$95.8 €85.2

5.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$43.61 €38.79

4.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$108 €96.2

-7.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$136 €121

-9.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

$1,640 €1,459

-1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

$1,291 €1,148

-7.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

$2,798 €2,489

2.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

$2,264 €2,014

-12.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

$6,067 €5,396

24.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

$4,538 €4,037

-5.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

$4,069 €3,619

-60.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.4

13.24%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for The Hague: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

The Hague

$1.3K 47.2% 7.8% $94

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

The Hague

$330 12.1% 22.6% $61

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

The Hague

$361 13.2% 48.9% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

The Hague

$364 13.3% 66% $145

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

The Hague

$173 6.3% 3.8% $6.3

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

The Hague

$83 3.1% 26.9% $18

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

The Hague

$131 4.8% 107% $68

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $1,640 in The Hague. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Hague pays 156% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $87.0 in The Hague for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $330 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇳🇱 The Hague

🕒 Local time

18:18 6:18 PM

19:18 7:18 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

562,839

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon The Hague 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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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 The Hague: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and The Hague differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $2,733 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 156% lower in The Hague. 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: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $1,640 in The Hague. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $677 in Lisbon versus $2,400 in The Hague. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 23% higher in The Hague. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,733 in The Hague, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in The Hague. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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 The Hague 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in The Hague. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.