Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wetzlar Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Wetzlar

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,016 in Wetzlar.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $3,061 in Wetzlar.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $4,106 in Wetzlar.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 14% more expensive than in Wetzlar, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Wetzlar 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$17.21 €15.00

2.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$87.6 €76.4

-28.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$14.11 €12.30

-17.93%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.19 €3.65

-26.01%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$3.37 €2.94

-26.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$3.98 €3.47

-56.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$5.52 €4.82

-36.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$3.96 €3.45

-13.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.33 €1.16

-13.53%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.12 €0.97

70.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.70 €2.35

-44.44%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.43 €2.99

16.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$18.99 €16.56

-30.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$10.33 €9.01

-22.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$11.42 €9.95

57.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.41 €2.98

-31.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.35 €2.05

-25.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.09 €1.82

-11.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$4.26 €3.71

-40.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.35 €1.18

36.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.54 €1.35

36.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.53 €1.34

-2.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.43 €0.38

90.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$10.46 €9.12

-32.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$5.79 €5.05

2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.17 €1.02

11.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.71 €1.49

24.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$3.76 €3.28

-37.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$66.7 €58.2

-30.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$8.04 €7.01

-49.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.63 €2.29

-56.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$40.60 €35.39

-57.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.14 €1.86

7.94%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$33.3K €29.0K

2.46%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$40.0K €34.9K

3.34%

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

$169 €147

$362 €315

-53.43%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$28.18 €24.56

-31.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$40.26 €35.09

-16.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$43.09 €37.56

13.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$26.33 €22.95

-26.21%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$13.81 €12.04

-30.70%

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

$696 €607

$545 €475

27.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$17.7K €15.4K

-1.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$112 €97.7

-6.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$47.40 €41.31

0.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$101 €87.7

-0.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$144 €125

-13.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$838 €730

98.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$592 €516

110.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,551 €1,352

91.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,154 €1,006

77.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$5,199 €4,532

50.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$3,457 €3,014

29.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$2,346 €2,045

-30.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.95

-4.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Wetzlar: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $838 in Wetzlar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wetzlar pays 44% 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 $88.0 in Wetzlar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $292 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 Wetzlar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Wetzlar differ by about 14% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $2,016 including rent). Wetzlar is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 44% lower in Wetzlar. 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 $838 in Wetzlar. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $545 in Wetzlar. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 5% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,016 in Wetzlar versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Wetzlar but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Wetzlar 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 Wetzlar 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 Wetzlar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.