Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Venlo

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,433 in Venlo, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. The total is higher in Venlo despite lower rent and utilities.

Lisbon, Portugal
Venlo, Netherlands
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Venlo
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,433
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Venlo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,433 in Venlo.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Venlo $2,433

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $3,469 in Venlo.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Venlo $3,469

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $4,506 in Venlo.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Venlo $4,506

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 9% less than in Venlo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Venlo 79% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Venlo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$22.60 €20.30
-26.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$88.3 €79.3
-30.09%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$13.04 €11.71
-12.88%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$3.46 €3.11
-14.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$3.33 €2.99
-31.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.72 €2.44
-36.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$6.80 €6.11
-50.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$5.72 €5.14
-42.13%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Venlo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.33 €1.19
-12.78%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$1.73 €1.56
10.40%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$2.53 €2.27
-40.32%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$5.12 €4.60
-21.48%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$13.50 €12.13
-4.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$15.17 €13.63
-48.78%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$15.43 €13.86
15.10%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$2.08 €1.87
10.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$2.18 €1.96
-20.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$1.87 €1.68
-0.53%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$4.48 €4.03
-42.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$1.68 €1.51
8.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.84 €1.65
7.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.27 €1.14
15.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.75 €0.67
-4.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$13.83 €12.43
-52.42%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$6.89 €6.19
-18.58%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$1.44 €1.29
-5.56%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$2.61 €2.35
-18.01%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Venlo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$1.54 €1.38
51.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$136 €122
-67.19%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$4.08 €3.67
-5.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$2.36 €2.12
-54.66%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$32.73 €29.40
-49.71%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$2.34 €2.11
-5.98%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$40.8K €36.7K
-16.20%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$39.4K €35.4K
-1.61%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Venlo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$181 €163
-10.91%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$14.86 €13.35
23.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$55.6 €49.97
-41.15%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Venlo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$21.84 €19.62
103.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$31.45 €28.25
-39.27%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$11.10 €9.97
-13.51%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Venlo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$2,254 €2,025
-70.38%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$12.1K €10.9K
45.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Venlo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$88.1 €79.1
15.85%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$28.50 €25.60
56.00%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$113 €101
-12.66%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$157 €141
-21.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Venlo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$1,118 €1,004
43.90%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$1,148 €1,031
3.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$1,324 €1,189
112.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$1,530 €1,374
31.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$3,163 €2,841
147.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
$2,837 €2,549
61.27%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Venlo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$3,661 €3,289
-56.98%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.83
0.52%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Venlo: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Venlo
$1.1K 3.5% $42
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Venlo
$326 19.7% $54
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Venlo
$331 36.5% $88
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Venlo
$251 18.4% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Venlo
$174 4.8% $8
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Venlo
$44 30.9% $20
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Venlo
$158 150% $95

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,118 in Venlo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Venlo pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $88 in Venlo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $326 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇳🇱 Venlo
🕒 Local time
18:40 6:40 PM
19:40 7:40 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
103,328
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Venlo 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Venlo

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 Venlo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Venlo?
Lisbon and Venlo differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,433 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 57% 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 Venlo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,118 in Venlo. 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 Venlo?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $2,254 in Venlo. 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 20% higher in Venlo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Lisbon compared to Venlo?
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 Venlo?
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 Venlo safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Venlo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Venlo?
It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Venlo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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