Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Siegen and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Siegen: $1,737 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Siegen
🇩🇪 Germany
$1,737
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,737 in Siegen versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Siegen $1,737
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,625 in Siegen versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Siegen $2,625
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,513 in Siegen versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Siegen $3,513
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Siegen costs roughly 21% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Siegen 28% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Siegen
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.27 €11.81
$17.04 €15.15
-22.12%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$54.1 €48.09
$62.3 €55.4
-13.21%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.05 €9.83
$11.02 €9.80
0.27%
Cappuccino
$3.86 €3.43
$3.12 €2.78
23.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.79 €3.37
$2.27 €2.02
66.96%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.94
$1.74 €1.55
90.23%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.54 €4.04
$3.42 €3.04
32.75%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.35 €3.87
$3.74 €3.33
16.31%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Siegen
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.27 €1.13
$1.17 €1.04
8.55%
White Bread (500g)
$1.88 €1.67
$1.86 €1.66
1.08%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.00 €2.66
$1.54 €1.37
94.81%
Eggs
$3.47 €3.09
$4.06 €3.61
-14.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.04 €12.49
$12.91 €11.49
8.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.33 €10.97
$7.90 €7.03
56.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.47 €16.43
$17.64 €15.69
4.71%
Apples (1kg)
$2.94 €2.61
$2.26 €2.01
30.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.75 €1.55
8.57%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.15 €1.91
$1.89 €1.68
13.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.78 €4.25
$2.56 €2.27
86.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.34 €1.19
$1.85 €1.64
-27.57%
Onion (1kg)
$1.34 €1.19
$1.97 €1.75
-31.98%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.87 €1.66
$1.45 €1.29
28.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.74 €0.66
$0.77 €0.69
-3.90%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.98 €8.88
$6.71 €5.97
48.73%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.65 €5.03
$5.67 €5.04
-0.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 €0.92
$1.37 €1.22
-24.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.39 €1.23
$2.11 €1.88
-34.12%
🚌 Getting Around
Siegen
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.96 €3.52
$2.32 €2.07
70.69%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$72.0 €64.0
$44.43 €39.52
61.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.28 €2.91
$3.95 €3.51
-16.96%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.05 €0.93
99.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$40.14 €35.70
$17.15 €15.26
134.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.07 €1.84
$2.19 €1.95
-5.48%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$30.9K €27.5K
$33.8K €30.0K
-8.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.2K €34.0K
$38.3K €34.0K
-0.22%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Siegen
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$331 €295
$164 €146
102.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.78 €29.15
$18.48 €16.43
77.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$50.6 €45.01
$32.96 €29.32
53.52%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Siegen
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$30.55 €27.17
$45.87 €40.80
-33.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$22.12 €19.67
$18.68 €16.61
18.42%
Cinema Ticket
$13.44 €11.95
$9.75 €8.67
37.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Siegen
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$163 €145
$684 €608
-76.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$17.6K €15.7K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Siegen
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$33.42 €29.72
$104 €92.3
-67.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.17 €25.05
$46.20 €41.09
-39.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$88.4 €78.7
$99.7 €88.7
-11.34%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$76.0 €67.6
$125 €111
-39.06%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Siegen
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$638 €567
$1,589 €1,414
-59.89%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$499 €444
$1,169 €1,040
-57.29%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,136 €1,011
$2,851 €2,536
-60.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$985 €876
$1,993 €1,773
-50.59%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,425 €2,157
$7,793 €6,932
-68.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,002 €1,781
$4,418 €3,930
-54.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Siegen
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,565 €2,282
$1,600 €1,423
60.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.86
3.85
0.26%

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

Last update for Siegen: October 18, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Siegen
$499
Lisbon
$1.2K 134% $670
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Siegen
$415
Lisbon
$215 48.1% $199
Groceries & Markets
Siegen
$317
Lisbon
$273 14% $44
Eating Out
Siegen
$245
Lisbon
$247 0.8% $2.1
Clothing & Footwear
Siegen
$102
Lisbon
$168 65.6% $67
Getting Around
Siegen
$102
Lisbon
$63 38% $39
Sport & Entertainment
Siegen
$57
Lisbon
$65 13.8% $8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $638 in Siegen and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Siegen pays 60% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $54.0 in Siegen vs $62.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $317 vs $273, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Siegen
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
06:47 6:47 AM
05:47 5:47 AM
1 h behind Siegen
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
99,403
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Siegen Lisbon 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Siegen
  • 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
Siegen vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Siegen and in Lisbon?
Siegen and Lisbon differ by about 27% in total monthly costs ($1,737 vs $2,202 including rent). Siegen is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Siegen or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 60% higher in Siegen, 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 Siegen and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $638 in Siegen versus $1,589 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 Siegen and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $163 in Siegen versus $684 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 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,737 in Siegen versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Siegen but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Siegen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Siegen 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 Siegen or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Siegen 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: Siegen or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Siegen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Siegen vs other spots: cost of living compared

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