Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ludwigshafen and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Ludwigshafen: $1,850 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Ludwigshafen
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,850
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ludwigshafen and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Ludwigshafen and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,850 in Ludwigshafen versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Ludwigshafen $1,850
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,721 in Ludwigshafen versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Ludwigshafen $2,721
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,592 in Ludwigshafen versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Ludwigshafen $3,592
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Ludwigshafen costs roughly 17% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ludwigshafen 37% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ludwigshafen
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.61 €14.78
$16.50 €14.67
0.67%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$78.3 €69.7
$61.3 €54.5
27.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.43 €11.05
$11.27 €10.03
10.29%
Cappuccino
$4.18 €3.72
$3.06 €2.72
36.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.39 €3.01
$2.26 €2.01
50.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 €2.32
$1.73 €1.54
50.87%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.06 €4.50
$3.39 €3.02
49.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.57 €4.07
$3.40 €3.02
34.41%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ludwigshafen
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 €1.01
$1.12 €1.00
1.79%
White Bread (500g)
$1.64 €1.45
$1.86 €1.65
-11.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.82 €2.51
$1.53 €1.36
84.31%
Eggs
$3.95 €3.52
$3.96 €3.53
-0.25%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.09 €11.64
$12.76 €11.35
2.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.61 €9.44
$7.90 €7.02
34.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$25.62 €22.79
$16.97 €15.09
50.97%
Apples (1kg)
$2.64 €2.35
$2.27 €2.02
16.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.47 €1.30
$1.75 €1.55
-16.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.69 €2.39
$1.85 €1.64
45.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.17 €1.93
$2.57 €2.28
-15.56%
Potato (1kg)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.86 €1.65
-26.88%
Onion (1kg)
$1.46 €1.30
$2.02 €1.80
-27.72%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.44 €1.28
-5.56%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.06 €0.95
$0.82 €0.73
29.27%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.92 €8.83
$6.56 €5.83
51.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.50 €5.78
$5.62 €5.00
15.66%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 €0.92
$1.28 €1.14
-18.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 €1.39
$2.07 €1.84
-24.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Ludwigshafen
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.54 €3.15
$2.35 €2.09
50.64%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$68.8 €61.2
$44.18 €39.30
55.79%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$9.46 €8.41
$3.99 €3.55
137.09%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.43 €3.05
$1.09 €0.97
214.68%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.85 €17.65
$16.64 €14.81
19.29%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.91 €1.70
$2.28 €2.03
-16.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.4K €28.8K
$33.7K €30.0K
-3.90%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.1K €33.8K
$39.3K €35.0K
-3.16%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ludwigshafen
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$259 €231
$167 €149
54.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$11.29 €10.04
$18.80 €16.72
-39.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$46.80 €41.62
$33.09 €29.43
41.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ludwigshafen
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$38.52 €34.26
$46.01 €40.93
-16.28%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.15 €25.93
$19.19 €17.07
51.90%
Cinema Ticket
$16.46 €14.64
$9.84 €8.75
67.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ludwigshafen
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$474 €421
$677 €602
-30.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.8K €20.2K
$16.9K €15.1K
34.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ludwigshafen
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$66.2 €58.9
$101 €90.1
-34.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.01 €39.14
$45.76 €40.70
-3.82%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.6 €74.3
$100.0 €88.9
-16.41%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$45.50 €40.47
$123 €109
-62.94%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ludwigshafen
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$782 €696
$1,614 €1,436
-51.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$651 €579
$1,197 €1,065
-45.62%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,487 €1,322
$2,862 €2,545
-48.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$927 €825
$1,990 €1,770
-53.40%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,917 €4,374
$7,577 €6,740
-35.11%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,308 €2,943
$4,307 €3,831
-23.19%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ludwigshafen
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,434 €3,054
$1,588 €1,412
116.27%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.95
3.85
2.60%

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

Last update for Ludwigshafen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Ludwigshafen
$651
Lisbon
$1.2K 83.9% $546
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ludwigshafen
$317
Lisbon
$219 30.9% $98
Groceries & Markets
Ludwigshafen
$314
Lisbon
$269 14.2% $45
Eating Out
Ludwigshafen
$279
Lisbon
$242 13.1% $37
Getting Around
Ludwigshafen
$110
Lisbon
$63 42.5% $47
Clothing & Footwear
Ludwigshafen
$108
Lisbon
$166 54.5% $59
Sport & Entertainment
Ludwigshafen
$71
Lisbon
$66 8% $5.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $782 in Ludwigshafen and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ludwigshafen pays 116% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78.0 in Ludwigshafen vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $314 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Ludwigshafen
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
23:57 11:57 PM
22:57 10:57 PM
1 h behind Ludwigshafen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
163,340
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

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

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
Ludwigshafen vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Ludwigshafen and in Lisbon?
Ludwigshafen and Lisbon differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($1,850 vs $2,223 including rent). Ludwigshafen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Ludwigshafen or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 116% higher in Ludwigshafen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Ludwigshafen and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $782 in Ludwigshafen versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Ludwigshafen and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $474 in Ludwigshafen versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 17% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,500 per month?
At $1,850 in Ludwigshafen versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Ludwigshafen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ludwigshafen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Ludwigshafen and Lisbon?
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 Ludwigshafen or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Ludwigshafen and Lisbon 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: Ludwigshafen or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Ludwigshafen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Ludwigshafen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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