Cost of Living Comparison Between Munster and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Munster and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,420 in Munster versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,458 in Munster versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,496 in Munster versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Munster is roughly 4% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Munster 76% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.18 €12.20

$17.30 €14.87

-18.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.0 €64.5

$63.3 €54.4

18.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.95 €11.14

$11.39 €9.80

13.70%

Cappuccino

$3.91 €3.36

$3.19 €2.74

22.57%

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

$4.10 €3.52

$2.45 €2.10

67.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 €2.34

$1.76 €1.52

55.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.67 €4.88

$3.59 €3.09

57.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 €3.98

$3.39 €2.92

36.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 €1.22

$1.24 €1.06

14.52%

White Bread (500g)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.98 €1.71

0.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 €3.83

$1.52 €1.31

192.76%

Eggs

$3.95 €3.40

$4.04 €3.47

-2.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.81 €12.74

$13.54 €11.64

9.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.64 €9.15

$8.39 €7.21

26.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$29.36 €25.25

$18.25 €15.69

60.88%

Apples (1kg)

$3.41 €2.93

$2.29 €1.97

48.91%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.74 €1.50

31.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 €1.68

$1.86 €1.60

5.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.89 €3.34

$2.63 €2.26

47.91%

Potato (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.92 €1.65

-10.42%

Onion (1kg)

$1.17 €1.01

$2.09 €1.80

-44.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.28

$1.44 €1.24

3.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.85

$0.84 €0.72

17.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.07 €8.66

$6.78 €5.83

48.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.48 €5.57

$5.71 €4.91

13.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 €1.04

$1.38 €1.18

-12.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.22 €1.91

-26.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 €2.48

$2.40 €2.06

20.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.5 €58.0

$46.78 €40.22

44.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.51 €3.88

$4.17 €3.59

8.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.98 €2.56

$1.14 €0.98

161.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.56 €30.57

$17.68 €15.20

101.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 €1.81

$2.32 €2.00

-9.05%

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

$33.4K €28.8K

$35.3K €30.4K

-5.36%

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

$40.3K €34.7K

$41.4K €35.6K

-2.73%

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

$484 €417

$170 €146

184.44%

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

$24.56 €21.12

$19.34 €16.63

26.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.28 €37.21

$33.64 €28.92

28.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.34 €28.66

$48.10 €41.35

-30.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.77 €20.43

$19.90 €17.11

19.45%

Cinema Ticket

$14.10 €12.12

$9.92 €8.53

42.14%

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

$735 €632

$717 €617

2.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.7K €13.5K

$17.5K €15.0K

-10.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$113 €97.0

$105 €90.1

7.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.45 €39.94

$46.95 €40.37

-1.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 €119

$103 €88.9

33.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 €132

$124 €107

23.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$998 €858

$1,677 €1,441

-40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$837 €720

$1,271 €1,093

-34.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,043 €1,756

$2,985 €2,566

-31.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,443 €1,241

$1,992 €1,713

-27.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,661 €7,446

$7,826 €6,729

10.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,482 €3,854

$4,658 €4,005

-3.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,477 €2,990

$1,583 €1,361

119.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

3.79

4.22%

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

Last update for Munster: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $998 in Munster and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Munster pays 120% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $75.0 in Munster vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $359 vs $283 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

Munster vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Munster and Lisbon differ by about 4% in total monthly costs ($2,420 vs $2,316 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 120% higher in Munster, 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: $998 in Munster versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $735 in Munster versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 27% higher in Munster. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,316 in Lisbon versus $2,420 in Munster, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Munster. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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, Munster 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.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Munster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.