Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Turnhout

For one person, living costs are similar in Lisbon and in Turnhout: $2,223 and $2,127 a month, rent and utilities included.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Turnhout
🇧🇪 Belgium
$2,127
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Turnhout

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,127 in Turnhout.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Turnhout $2,127

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $3,076 in Turnhout.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Turnhout $3,076

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $4,024 in Turnhout.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Turnhout $4,024

Living in Lisbon is roughly 5% more expensive than in Turnhout, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Turnhout 58% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Turnhout
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$22.68 €20.17
-27.25%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$64.0 €57.0
-4.36%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$15.58 €13.86
-27.66%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$4.25 €3.78
-28.00%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$3.09 €2.75
-26.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$2.73 €2.43
-36.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$5.19 €4.62
-34.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$4.67 €4.16
-27.19%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Turnhout
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.08 €0.96
3.70%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$1.63 €1.45
14.11%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$2.13 €1.90
-28.17%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$3.98 €3.54
-0.50%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$9.93 €8.83
28.50%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$9.12 €8.11
-13.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$19.36 €17.22
-12.35%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.77 €2.47
-18.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$2.41 €2.14
-27.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.51 €2.23
-26.29%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$2.85 €2.53
-9.82%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$2.12 €1.89
-12.26%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.93 €1.71
4.66%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.09 €0.97
32.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$1.07 €0.95
-23.36%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$12.99 €11.55
-49.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$5.06 €4.50
11.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.64 €1.46
-21.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$2.37 €2.11
-12.66%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Turnhout
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$2.77 €2.46
-15.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
$49.54 €44.07
-10.82%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$11.30 €10.05
-64.69%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$2.93 €2.61
-62.80%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$52.3 €46.56
-68.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$1.93 €1.71
18.13%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$34.8K €30.9K
-3.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$33.7K €29.9K
16.71%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Turnhout
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$225 €200
-25.62%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$21.17 €18.83
-11.20%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$47.30 €42.07
-30.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Turnhout
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$125 €111
-63.08%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
$22.43 €19.95
-14.44%
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$13.60 €12.10
-27.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Turnhout
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$547 €487
23.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$21.1K €18.7K
-19.69%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Turnhout
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$106 €94.0
-4.24%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$46.94 €41.75
-2.51%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$108 €95.9
-7.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$148 €132
-17.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Turnhout
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$910 €809
77.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$785 €699
52.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$1,236 €1,100
131.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$1,105 €983
80.11%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Turnhout
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$2,592 €2,305
-38.73%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.2
20.31%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Turnhout: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Turnhout
$786 34.4% $412
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Turnhout
$288 6.9% $19
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Turnhout
$338 39.5% $96
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Turnhout
$294 33.8% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Turnhout
$184 10.6% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Turnhout
$152 131% $86
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Turnhout
$87 37.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $910 in Turnhout. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Turnhout pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $64.0 in Turnhout for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $288 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇧🇪 Turnhout
🕒 Local time
06:30 6:30 AM
07:30 7:30 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
44,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Turnhout 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Turnhout

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 Turnhout: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Turnhout?
Lisbon and Turnhout differ by about 5% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $2,127 including rent). Turnhout is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 63% lower in Turnhout. 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 Turnhout?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $910 in Turnhout. 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 Turnhout?
Childcare runs $677 in Lisbon versus $547 in Turnhout. 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 7% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,127 in Turnhout versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Turnhout but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Turnhout the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Turnhout?
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 Turnhout safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Turnhout are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Turnhout?
Expats usually find Turnhout gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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