Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Veenendaal

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,202 a month against $2,529 in Veenendaal, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Veenendaal
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,529
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Veenendaal

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,529 in Veenendaal.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Veenendaal $2,529

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $3,714 in Veenendaal.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Veenendaal $3,714

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,898 in Veenendaal.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Veenendaal $4,898

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Veenendaal 87% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Veenendaal
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$24.13 €21.47
-29.38%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$84.8 €75.4
-26.51%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$15.20 €13.52
-27.50%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$4.36 €3.88
-28.44%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$3.39 €3.01
-33.04%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$2.91 €2.59
-40.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
$5.67 €5.04
-39.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
$5.55 €4.94
-32.61%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Veenendaal
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$1.42 €1.27
-17.61%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.60 €1.42
16.25%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$3.52 €3.13
-56.25%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$5.24 €4.66
-22.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$12.69 €11.29
1.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$14.83 €13.19
-46.73%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$16.74 €14.89
5.38%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$2.81 €2.50
-19.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$2.49 €2.22
-29.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$1.80 €1.60
5.00%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$5.55 €4.93
-53.87%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$2.04 €1.81
-9.31%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$2.29 €2.03
-13.97%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$1.29 €1.14
12.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.84 €0.75
-8.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$14.07 €12.51
-52.31%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
$6.71 €5.97
-15.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.42 €1.27
-3.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
$2.70 €2.40
-21.85%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Veenendaal
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$3.50 €3.11
-33.71%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
$87.5 €77.8
-49.22%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$4.07 €3.62
-2.95%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$3.02 €2.68
-65.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$29.34 €26.10
-41.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$2.45 €2.18
-10.61%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$41.5K €36.9K
-18.55%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$38.9K €34.6K
-1.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Veenendaal
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$276 €246
-40.66%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$23.70 €21.08
-22.03%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$50.9 €45.24
-35.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Veenendaal
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$27.54 €24.50
66.56%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
$23.43 €20.84
-20.27%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$14.26 €12.68
-31.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Veenendaal
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$2,325 €2,068
-70.58%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$5,963 €5,304
195.61%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Veenendaal
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$57.9 €51.5
79.14%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$38.37 €34.13
20.41%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$87.4 €77.7
14.11%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$105 €93.7
18.36%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Veenendaal
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$1,425 €1,268
11.52%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$1,173 €1,043
-0.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$2,353 €2,093
21.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$1,890 €1,681
5.48%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$5,306 €4,719
46.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$4,386 €3,901
0.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Veenendaal
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
$2,652 €2,359
-39.67%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
4.3
-10.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Veenendaal: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Veenendaal
$1.2K 0.3% $3.6
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Veenendaal
$344 25.8% $71
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Veenendaal
$356 43.7% $108
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Veenendaal
$351 62.9% $135
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Veenendaal
$130 22.8% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Veenendaal
$56 14.2% $9.3
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Veenendaal
$121 91.7% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,425 in Veenendaal. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Veenendaal pays 66% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $85.0 in Veenendaal for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $344 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇳🇱 Veenendaal
🕒 Local time
14:57 2:57 PM
15:57 3:57 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
61,271
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Veenendaal 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Veenendaal

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 Veenendaal: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Veenendaal?
Lisbon and Veenendaal differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $2,529 including rent). Lisbon 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 66% lower in Veenendaal. 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 Veenendaal?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,425 in Veenendaal. 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 Veenendaal?
Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $2,325 in Veenendaal. 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 26% higher in Veenendaal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,529 in Veenendaal, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Veenendaal. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Veenendaal?
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 Veenendaal safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Veenendaal 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 Veenendaal?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Veenendaal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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