Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Vilvoorde Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Vilvoorde

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,251 in Vilvoorde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $3,275 in Vilvoorde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $4,299 in Vilvoorde.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 2% more expensive than in Vilvoorde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Vilvoorde 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$21.75 €18.96

-19.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$81.2 €70.8

-22.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$11.65 €10.16

-0.60%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.31 €3.76

-28.07%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$3.25 €2.84

-23.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$2.94 €2.56

-40.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$5.52 €4.81

-36.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.55 €3.97

-24.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.20 €1.05

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.92 €2.54

-34.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.19 €1.91

-31.51%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.94 €3.43

1.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$11.75 €10.24

13.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$12.93 €11.27

-38.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$19.68 €17.16

-8.33%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.79 €2.43

-15.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.30 €2.01

-23.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.21 €1.92

-16.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$2.30 €2.00

10.87%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.20 €1.92

-16.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.81 €1.58

16.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.40 €1.22

6.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.93 €0.81

-11.83%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$13.48 €11.75

-47.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$9.25 €8.06

-36.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.03 €1.77

-35.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.93 €1.68

10.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$4.95 €4.31

-52.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$57.1 €49.76

-18.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$10.31 €8.98

-60.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.61 €2.28

-56.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$26.16 €22.81

-34.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.05 €1.79

12.68%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$37.1K €32.3K

-7.91%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$34.9K €30.4K

18.66%

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

$169 €147

$226 €197

-25.45%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$18.89 €16.46

2.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$55.4 €48.27

-39.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$36.95 €32.21

32.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$20.52 €17.89

-5.31%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$15.94 €13.89

-39.96%

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

$696 €607

$579 €505

20.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$16.9K €14.7K

2.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$113 €98.3

-6.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$26.75 €23.32

78.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$111 €96.8

-9.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$152 €133

-18.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$985 €859

68.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$921 €803

35.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,407 €1,227

110.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,315 €1,147

55.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$4,214 €3,673

85.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$2,579 €2,248

73.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$3,793 €3,306

-56.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.2

18.12%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Vilvoorde: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $985 in Vilvoorde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vilvoorde pays 132% 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 $81.0 in Vilvoorde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $332 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 Vilvoorde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Vilvoorde differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $2,251 including rent). Vilvoorde is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 132% lower in Vilvoorde. 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $985 in Vilvoorde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $579 in Vilvoorde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 20% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,251 in Vilvoorde versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vilvoorde but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Vilvoorde 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 Vilvoorde 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 Vilvoorde gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.