Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Valkenburg

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $2,529 in Valkenburg, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Valkenburg, Netherlands
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Valkenburg
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,529
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Valkenburg

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $2,529 in Valkenburg.

  • Lisbon $2,206
  • Valkenburg $2,529

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $3,737 in Valkenburg.

  • Lisbon $3,276
  • Valkenburg $3,737

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,945 in Valkenburg.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Valkenburg $4,945

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 13% less than in Valkenburg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Valkenburg 87% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Valkenburg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €14.98
$20.01 €17.78
-15.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0 €54.2
$88.8 €78.9
-31.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 €9.75
$12.28 €10.91
-10.59%
Cappuccino
$3.05 €2.71
$4.12 €3.66
-25.97%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$3.90 €3.47
-41.54%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.49
$2.96 €2.63
-43.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 €3.05
$6.64 €5.90
-48.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 €3.47
$6.24 €5.54
-37.34%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Valkenburg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.02
$1.30 €1.15
-11.54%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 €1.68
$2.41 €2.14
-21.58%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 €1.33
$2.46 €2.19
-39.02%
Eggs
$4.12 €3.66
$4.46 €3.96
-7.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.01 €11.55
$13.47 €11.96
-3.41%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 €7.15
$13.83 €12.29
-41.87%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.89 €15.89
$16.79 €14.92
6.55%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$2.58 €2.29
-12.02%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.55
$2.48 €2.21
-29.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$1.94 €1.72
-6.19%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.39
$4.37 €3.88
-38.44%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 €1.57
$1.86 €1.65
-4.84%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 €1.72
$2.26 €2.01
-14.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.29 €1.15
13.18%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.68
$0.77 €0.68
-1.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.91
$13.80 €12.26
-51.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.01
$6.86 €6.10
-17.78%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$1.51 €1.34
-14.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.90
$2.53 €2.25
-15.42%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Valkenburg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 €2.04
$3.55 €3.16
-35.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.02 €39.10
$90.5 €80.4
-51.37%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.98 €3.54
$4.13 €3.67
-3.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 €0.57
$3.21 €2.85
-80.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.93 €16.81
$27.82 €24.71
-31.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.02
$2.37 €2.10
-3.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.6K
$41.2K €36.6K
-19.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.2K
$40.0K €35.5K
-3.76%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Valkenburg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €141
$285 €253
-44.55%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54 €15.58
$17.07 €15.16
2.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18 €27.70
$41.78 €37.11
-25.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Valkenburg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.64 €39.66
$41.12 €36.53
8.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98 €16.86
$24.31 €21.60
-21.93%
Cinema Ticket
$9.58 €8.51
$15.40 €13.68
-37.79%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Valkenburg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$674 €598
$1,231 €1,094
-45.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K €16.6K
$11.0K €9,752
70.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Valkenburg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €90.8
$92.9 €82.5
10.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90 €40.77
$44.32 €39.37
3.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €90.8
$104 €92.8
-2.16%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €108
$166 €148
-26.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Valkenburg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,641 €1,457
$1,443 €1,282
13.69%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,187 €1,055
$1,152 €1,024
3.02%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,825 €2,509
$2,287 €2,031
23.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,018 €1,793
$1,876 €1,666
7.58%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,836 €6,960
$5,728 €5,088
36.79%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,701 €4,176
$4,416 €3,922
6.47%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Valkenburg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,687 €1,499
$2,320 €2,061
-27.29%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
4
-4.50%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Valkenburg: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Valkenburg
$1.2K 2.9% $35
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275
Valkenburg
$333 21.3% $58
Eating Out
Lisbon
$245
Valkenburg
$320 30.3% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207
Valkenburg
$344 66.3% $137
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Valkenburg
$184 9.6% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Valkenburg
$72 12.7% $8.1
Getting Around
Lisbon
$60
Valkenburg
$125 107% $64

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $1,443 in Valkenburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valkenburg pays 38% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $89 in Valkenburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $333 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇳🇱 Valkenburg
🕒 Local time
19:23 7:23 PM
20:23 8:23 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
16,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 4, 2026: 1 USD = 0.888 EUR (1 EUR = 1.13 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Valkenburg 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Valkenburg

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 Valkenburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Valkenburg?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $2,529 in Valkenburg, so Lisbon is about 13% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Lisbon. 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 Valkenburg?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $1,443 in Valkenburg. 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 Valkenburg?
Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $1,231 in Valkenburg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Valkenburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Lisbon compared to Valkenburg?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Lisbon gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Valkenburg?
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 Valkenburg safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Valkenburg are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Valkenburg?
It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Valkenburg on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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