Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Middelburg, Netherlands and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,318 in Middelburg, rent and utilities included – about $1,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

111

Cost of Living Index in Middelburg
Learn more

Middelburg Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index

Jump to prices

Middelburg

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,318

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,318 in Middelburg versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Middelburg $2,318
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,367 in Middelburg versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Middelburg $3,367
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,417 in Middelburg versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Middelburg $4,417
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Middelburg is roughly 5% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Middelburg 70% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.41 €12.01

$16.65 €14.91

-19.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 €79.7

$61.7 €55.3

44.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 €10.86

$11.36 €10.17

6.78%

Cappuccino

$4.06 €3.64

$2.97 €2.66

36.70%

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

$3.41 €3.05

$2.29 €2.05

48.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.96

$1.74 €1.56

90.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.99 €6.26

$3.40 €3.05

105.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.78 €6.07

$3.31 €2.96

104.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.16 €1.04

15.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 €2.04

$1.91 €1.71

18.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 €1.77

$1.51 €1.35

31.13%

Eggs

$4.62 €4.13

$4.02 €3.60

14.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.23 €10.95

$12.94 €11.59

-5.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.02 €11.66

$7.77 €6.96

67.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.20 €17.20

$17.76 €15.91

8.11%

Apples (1kg)

$2.57 €2.30

$2.30 €2.06

11.74%

Banana (1kg)

$2.19 €1.96

$1.73 €1.55

26.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.82

$1.86 €1.66

9.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.68 €3.30

$2.59 €2.32

42.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 €1.18

$1.82 €1.63

-27.47%

Onion (1kg)

$1.14 €1.02

$1.97 €1.76

-42.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.47 €1.32

-21.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.95 €0.85

$0.72 €0.65

31.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 €10.62

$6.58 €5.90

80.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 €5.40

$5.61 €5.02

7.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.20

$1.36 €1.22

-1.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 €1.69

$2.14 €1.91

-12.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.01

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.72 €4.23

$3.85 €3.45

22.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.33 €2.98

$1.07 €0.96

211.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.38 €29.90

$16.46 €14.74

102.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.09

$2.20 €1.97

5.91%

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

$41.5K €37.2K

$34.2K €30.6K

21.39%

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

$38.8K €34.7K

$38.7K €34.7K

0.07%

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

$148 €133

$161 €144

-8.19%

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

$28.05 €25.12

$18.41 €16.49

52.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.3 €48.67

$32.74 €29.32

65.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.51 €39.86

$44.55 €39.90

-0.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.17 €12.69

$19.10 €17.10

-25.81%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.88

$9.60 €8.60

3.33%

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

$2,582 €2,312

$668 €598

286.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K €10.6K

$17.6K €15.8K

-32.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.7 €85.7

$102 €91.4

-6.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.25 €38.73

$44.46 €39.82

-2.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 €94.2

$98.5 €88.2

6.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 €121

$124 €111

9.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,418 €1,270

$1,608 €1,440

-11.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 €1,114

$1,190 €1,066

4.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,001 €1,792

$2,812 €2,519

-28.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,864 €1,670

$2,013 €1,803

-7.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,021

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,098

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,144 €3,712

$1,575 €1,411

163.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.4

3.85

-11.69%

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

Last update for Middelburg: 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

Middelburg

$1.2K 53.7%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 4.3% $54

Groceries & Markets

Middelburg

$319 13.8%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 14.7% $47

Eating Out

Middelburg

$268 11.6%

Lisbon

$243 11% 9.4% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Middelburg

$230 9.9%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 7.8% $18

Clothing & Footwear

Middelburg

$171 7.4%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 2.9% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Middelburg

$64 2.8%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 0.9% $0.6

Getting Around

Middelburg

$21 * 0.9%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 196% $42

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,418 in Middelburg and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Middelburg pays about 2.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $89 in Middelburg vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $319 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇱 Middelburg

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

10:40 10:40 AM

09:40 9:40 AM

1 h behind Middelburg

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,345

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Middelburg Lisbon 1,730 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Middelburg
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

Middelburg vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,318 in Middelburg and $2,210 in Lisbon, so Lisbon is about 5% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay in Middelburg is about 2.6 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,418 in Middelburg versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 17% higher in Middelburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $2,318 per month in Middelburg versus $2,210 in Lisbon – Lisbon is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

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.

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, Middelburg and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Middelburg on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.