Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ulm Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ulm

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $2,257 in Ulm.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $3,446 in Ulm.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $4,634 in Ulm.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 3% more expensive than in Ulm, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 69% above, Ulm 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$17.13 €14.72

0.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$69.5 €59.8

-8.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$14.21 €12.21

-19.85%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$4.15 €3.57

-23.13%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$4.86 €4.18

-49.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.00 €1.72

-12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$4.81 €4.14

-25.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$4.71 €4.05

-28.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.50 €1.29

-17.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$2.12 €1.82

-6.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$4.10 €3.53

-62.93%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$3.75 €3.23

7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$14.78 €12.71

-8.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$10.54 €9.06

-20.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$26.62 €22.88

-31.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.59 €3.08

-36.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.41 €2.07

-27.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$2.06 €1.77

-9.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$4.04 €3.48

-34.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.08 €0.93

77.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.12 €0.96

86.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.70 €1.46

-15.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.25 €1.07

-32.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$10.26 €8.82

-33.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$5.91 €5.08

-3.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.13 €0.97

22.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$1.53 €1.31

45.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$3.29 €2.83

-27.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$67.9 €58.4

-31.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.05 €1.76

13.17%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$33.7K €28.9K

4.96%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$40.3K €34.7K

2.77%

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

$170 €146

$394 €339

-56.76%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$34.80 €29.92

-44.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$54.9 €47.21

-38.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$35.97 €30.93

33.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$23.39 €20.11

-14.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$13.99 €12.03

-29.09%

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

$717 €617

$459 €395

56.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$13.3K €11.5K

30.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$93.8 €80.7

11.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$58.8 €50.6

-20.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$96.1 €82.6

7.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$157 €135

-21.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$976 €839

71.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$774 €666

64.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$1,956 €1,681

52.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$1,569 €1,349

27.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$6,053 €5,204

29.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$4,122 €3,544

12.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$3,878 €3,334

-59.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

3.97

-4.53%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Ulm: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $976 in Ulm. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ulm pays 145% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $70.0 in Ulm for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $353 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 Ulm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Ulm differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $2,257 including rent). Ulm is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 145% lower in Ulm. 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $976 in Ulm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $459 in Ulm. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 25% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,257 in Ulm versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ulm but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ulm 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 Ulm 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 Ulm gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.