Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marburg and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Marburg: $1,730 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Marburg, Germany
Lisbon, Portugal
Marburg
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,730
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Marburg 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 Marburg and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,730 in Marburg versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Marburg $1,730
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,714 in Marburg versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Marburg $2,714
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,698 in Marburg versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Marburg $3,698
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Marburg costs roughly 22% less than in Lisbon.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Marburg 27% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Marburg
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.38 €12.88
$16.65 €14.91
-13.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$56.6 €50.7
$61.7 €55.3
-8.37%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.92 €8.89
$11.36 €10.17
-12.68%
Cappuccino
$3.90 €3.49
$2.97 €2.66
31.31%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.35 €2.10
$2.29 €2.05
2.62%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.04 €1.83
$1.74 €1.56
17.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.83 €4.32
$3.40 €3.05
42.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.44 €4.87
$3.31 €2.96
64.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Marburg
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.50 €1.34
$1.16 €1.04
29.31%
White Bread (500g)
$2.24 €2.01
$1.91 €1.71
17.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.87 €3.46
$1.51 €1.35
156.29%
Eggs
$3.86 €3.46
$4.02 €3.60
-3.98%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$15.94 €14.28
$12.94 €11.59
23.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.66 €9.55
$7.77 €6.96
37.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.87 €16.90
$17.76 €15.91
6.25%
Apples (1kg)
$3.24 €2.90
$2.30 €2.06
40.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.99 €1.79
$1.73 €1.55
15.03%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.22 €1.99
$1.86 €1.66
19.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.96 €3.55
$2.59 €2.32
52.90%
Potato (1kg)
$1.14 €1.02
$1.82 €1.63
-37.36%
Onion (1kg)
$1.10 €0.98
$1.97 €1.76
-44.16%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.48 €1.32
$1.47 €1.32
0.68%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 €0.97
$0.72 €0.65
51.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.06 €9.01
$6.58 €5.90
52.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.75 €5.15
$5.61 €5.02
2.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.09 €0.97
$1.36 €1.22
-19.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.58 €1.41
$2.14 €1.91
-26.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Marburg
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.73 €3.34
$2.33 €2.09
60.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$66.1 €59.2
$44.68 €40.01
47.83%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.66 €5.07
$3.85 €3.45
47.01%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.07 €0.96
105.61%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$38.81 €34.76
$16.46 €14.74
135.78%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.10 €1.88
$2.20 €1.97
-4.55%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.2K €28.9K
$34.2K €30.6K
-5.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.0K €34.9K
$38.7K €34.7K
0.63%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marburg
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$257 €231
$161 €144
59.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$16.93 €15.17
$18.41 €16.49
-8.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.60 €35.46
$32.74 €29.32
20.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Marburg
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.91 €36.64
$44.55 €39.90
-8.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$19.10 €17.10
-
Cinema Ticket
$10.65 €9.54
$9.60 €8.60
10.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Marburg
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,103 €988
$668 €598
65.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$44.7K €40.0K
$17.6K €15.8K
153.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Marburg
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$95.9 €85.9
$102 €91.4
-6.03%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.92 €36.64
$44.46 €39.82
-7.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$91.2 €81.7
$98.5 €88.2
-7.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$143 €128
$124 €111
15.95%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Marburg
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$741 €663
$1,608 €1,440
-53.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$517 €463
$1,190 €1,066
-56.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,535 €1,375
$2,812 €2,519
-45.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,122 €1,005
$2,013 €1,803
-44.26%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,050 €3,627
$7,839 €7,021
-48.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,396 €3,042
$4,576 €4,098
-25.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Marburg
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,902 €2,599
$1,575 €1,411
84.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.03
3.85
4.68%

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

Last update for Marburg: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Marburg
$517
Lisbon
$1.2K 130% $673
Groceries & Markets
Marburg
$328
Lisbon
$272 16.9% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Marburg
$314
Lisbon
$212 32.4% $102
Eating Out
Marburg
$244
Lisbon
$243 0.6% $1.5
Clothing & Footwear
Marburg
$167
Lisbon
$166 0.7% $1.2
Getting Around
Marburg
$98
Lisbon
$63 35.3% $34
Sport & Entertainment
Marburg
$62
Lisbon
$64 2.5% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $741 in Marburg and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Marburg pays 84% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $57 in Marburg vs $62 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $328 vs $272, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Marburg
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
18:48 6:48 PM
17:48 5:48 PM
1 h behind Marburg
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
73,125
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Marburg Lisbon 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Marburg
  • 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
Marburg vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Marburg and in Lisbon?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $1,730 in Marburg and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Marburg is about 22% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Marburg or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 84% higher in Marburg, 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 Marburg and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $741 in Marburg versus $1,608 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 Marburg and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $1,103 in Marburg versus $668 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 $2,000 per month?
At $1,730 in Marburg versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marburg but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Marburg the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Marburg 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 Marburg or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Marburg and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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