Cost of Living Comparison Between Soest and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Soest and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,956 in Soest versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,890 in Soest versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,825 in Soest versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Soest costs roughly 14% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Soest 42% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.99 €12.06

$17.55 €15.12

-20.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.7 €60.9

$64.5 €55.6

9.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 €11.31

$11.65 €10.04

12.62%

Cappuccino

$3.09 €2.66

$3.26 €2.81

-5.21%

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

$3.29 €2.83

$2.49 €2.15

32.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 €1.95

$1.67 €1.44

35.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.81 €3.29

$3.47 €2.99

9.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.58 €3.08

-33.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 €1.15

$1.18 €1.02

13.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.78 €1.53

$1.95 €1.68

-8.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.73 €3.22

$1.56 €1.35

139.10%

Eggs

$3.56 €3.07

$4.01 €3.46

-11.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.21 €13.11

$13.27 €11.44

14.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.97 €10.32

$8.42 €7.26

42.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.61 €16.90

$18.23 €15.72

7.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.84 €2.44

$2.32 €2.00

22.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.73 €1.49

21.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.17 €1.87

$1.93 €1.67

12.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.64 €2.27

-10.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.35 €1.16

$1.90 €1.64

-28.95%

Onion (1kg)

$1.25 €1.08

$2.11 €1.82

-40.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 €1.36

$1.44 €1.24

9.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.94

$0.80 €0.69

36.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.38 €8.09

$7.01 €6.04

33.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.65 €4.87

$5.92 €5.11

-4.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 €0.89

$1.36 €1.18

-24.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 €1.38

$2.15 €1.85

-25.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.38 €2.05

50.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 €54.4

$46.22 €39.85

36.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.03 €3.47

$4.19 €3.61

-3.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 €2.34

$1.10 €0.95

147.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.96 €32.72

$17.26 €14.88

119.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 €1.84

$2.25 €1.94

-5.33%

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

$34.2K €29.5K

$34.5K €29.7K

-0.68%

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

$40.3K €34.7K

$41.6K €35.9K

-3.24%

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

$315 €272

$171 €147

84.54%

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

$17.21 €14.83

$19.01 €16.38

-9.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.96 €38.75

$34.28 €29.55

31.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.49 €25.42

$49.65 €42.80

-40.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.20 €22.59

$19.51 €16.81

34.29%

Cinema Ticket

$15.03 €12.95

$10.10 €8.71

48.81%

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

$479 €413

$699 €603

-31.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.1K

$17.8K €15.3K

-7.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$94.2 €81.2

$105 €90.2

-9.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.97 €30.15

$47.97 €41.35

-27.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 €106

$102 €87.8

20.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 €121

$128 €111

9.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,148 €990

$1,661 €1,432

-30.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$684 €589

$1,228 €1,059

-44.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,519 €1,310

$2,915 €2,513

-47.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,170 €1,008

$2,023 €1,744

-42.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,330 €4,594

$8,129 €7,007

-34.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,475 €2,995

$4,635 €3,996

-25.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

3.78

4.50%

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

Last update for Soest: September 7, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,148 in Soest and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Soest vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $318 vs $281 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

Soest vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Soest and Lisbon differ by about 16% in total monthly costs ($1,956 vs $2,268 including rent). Soest is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $2,933 in Soest and $3,402 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,148 in Soest versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $479 in Soest versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 13% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,956 in Soest versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Soest but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Soest 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, Soest 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 Soest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.