Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Venlo and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $2,433 in Venlo, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. The total is higher in Venlo despite lower rent and utilities.

Venlo, Netherlands
Lisbon, Portugal
Venlo
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,433
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,433 in Venlo versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Venlo $2,433
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,469 in Venlo versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Venlo $3,469
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,506 in Venlo versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Venlo $4,506
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Venlo is roughly 10% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Venlo 79% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Venlo
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$22.60 €20.30
$16.65 €14.95
35.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.3 €79.3
$61.7 €55.5
43.04%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.04 €11.71
$11.36 €10.20
14.79%
Cappuccino
$3.46 €3.11
$2.97 €2.67
16.50%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 €2.99
$2.29 €2.06
45.41%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.72 €2.44
$1.74 €1.56
56.32%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.80 €6.11
$3.40 €3.06
100.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.72 €5.14
$3.31 €2.97
72.81%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Venlo
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.33 €1.19
$1.16 €1.04
14.66%
White Bread (500g)
$1.73 €1.56
$1.91 €1.72
-9.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.53 €2.27
$1.51 €1.36
67.55%
Eggs
$5.12 €4.60
$4.02 €3.61
27.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.50 €12.13
$12.94 €11.62
4.33%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.17 €13.63
$7.77 €6.98
95.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.43 €13.86
$17.76 €15.95
-13.12%
Apples (1kg)
$2.08 €1.87
$2.30 €2.07
-9.57%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 €1.96
$1.73 €1.56
26.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.87 €1.68
$1.86 €1.67
0.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.48 €4.03
$2.59 €2.33
72.97%
Potato (1kg)
$1.68 €1.51
$1.82 €1.64
-7.69%
Onion (1kg)
$1.84 €1.65
$1.97 €1.77
-6.60%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.27 €1.14
$1.47 €1.32
-13.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.75 €0.67
$0.72 €0.65
4.17%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$13.83 €12.43
$6.58 €5.91
110.18%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.89 €6.19
$5.61 €5.04
22.82%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.44 €1.29
$1.36 €1.22
5.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.61 €2.35
$2.14 €1.92
21.96%
🚌 Getting Around
Venlo
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.54 €1.38
$2.33 €2.10
-33.91%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$136 €122
$44.68 €40.14
204.81%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.08 €3.67
$3.85 €3.46
5.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.36 €2.12
$1.07 €0.96
120.56%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.73 €29.40
$16.46 €14.79
98.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.34 €2.11
$2.20 €1.98
6.36%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.8K €36.7K
$34.2K €30.7K
19.33%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.4K €35.4K
$38.7K €34.8K
1.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Venlo
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$181 €163
$161 €145
12.24%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.86 €13.35
$18.41 €16.54
-19.28%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.6 €49.97
$32.74 €29.41
69.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Venlo
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$21.84 €19.62
$44.55 €40.02
-50.98%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$31.45 €28.25
$19.10 €17.16
64.66%
Cinema Ticket
$11.10 €9.97
$9.60 €8.62
15.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Venlo
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,254 €2,025
$668 €600
237.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.1K €10.9K
$17.6K €15.8K
-31.23%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Venlo
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$88.1 €79.1
$102 €91.6
-13.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$28.50 €25.60
$44.46 €39.94
-35.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$113 €101
$98.5 €88.5
14.50%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$157 €141
$124 €111
27.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Venlo
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,118 €1,004
$1,608 €1,445
-30.51%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,148 €1,031
$1,190 €1,069
-3.53%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,324 €1,189
$2,812 €2,526
-52.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,530 €1,374
$2,013 €1,808
-24.01%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,163 €2,841
$7,839 €7,042
-59.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,837 €2,549
$4,576 €4,110
-37.99%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Venlo
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,661 €3,289
$1,575 €1,415
132.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.83
3.85
-0.52%

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

Last update for Venlo: 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
Venlo
$1.1K
Lisbon
$1.2K 3.7% $42
Eating Out
Venlo
$331
Lisbon
$243 26.7% $88
Groceries & Markets
Venlo
$326
Lisbon
$272 16.5% $54
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Venlo
$251
Lisbon
$212 15.5% $39
Clothing & Footwear
Venlo
$174
Lisbon
$166 4.6% $8
Getting Around
Venlo
$158
Lisbon
$63 60.1% $95
Sport & Entertainment
Venlo
$44
Lisbon
$64 44.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,118 in Venlo and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Venlo pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Venlo vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Venlo
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
16:42 4:42 PM
15:42 3:42 PM
1 h behind Venlo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
103,328
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Venlo Lisbon 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Venlo
  • 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
Venlo vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Venlo and in Lisbon?
Venlo and Lisbon differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,433 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Venlo or Lisbon?
Average pay in Venlo is about 2.3 times higher, 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 Venlo and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,118 in Venlo 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 Venlo and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $2,254 in Venlo 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?
Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Venlo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How far does $3,000 go in Venlo compared to Lisbon?
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.
How does quality of life compare between Venlo 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 Venlo or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Venlo 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.
How do I decide between Venlo and Lisbon?
It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Venlo on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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