Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Voorburg and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $2,613 in Voorburg, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Voorburg
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$2,613
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,613 in Voorburg versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Voorburg $2,613
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,697 in Voorburg versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Voorburg $3,697
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,782 in Voorburg versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Voorburg $4,782
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Voorburg is roughly 18% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Voorburg 94% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Voorburg
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.52 €18.25
$16.50 €14.67
24.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$82.4 €73.3
$61.3 €54.5
34.60%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.19 €11.73
$11.27 €10.03
17.04%
Cappuccino
$4.25 €3.78
$3.06 €2.72
38.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 €3.38
$2.26 €2.01
68.14%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.36 €2.98
$1.73 €1.54
94.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.08 €6.30
$3.39 €3.02
108.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.78 €5.14
$3.40 €3.02
70.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Voorburg
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.46 €1.30
$1.12 €1.00
30.36%
White Bread (500g)
$2.41 €2.14
$1.86 €1.65
29.57%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.95 €2.62
$1.53 €1.36
92.81%
Eggs
$5.19 €4.62
$3.96 €3.53
31.06%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.89 €10.58
$12.76 €11.35
-6.82%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.28 €11.81
$7.90 €7.02
68.10%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$18.54 €16.49
$16.97 €15.09
9.25%
Apples (1kg)
$3.32 €2.95
$2.27 €2.02
46.26%
Banana (1kg)
$2.62 €2.33
$1.75 €1.55
49.71%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.53 €2.25
$1.85 €1.64
36.76%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.32 €2.95
$2.57 €2.28
29.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.69 €1.50
$1.86 €1.65
-9.14%
Onion (1kg)
$1.47 €1.31
$2.02 €1.80
-27.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.43 €1.27
$1.44 €1.28
-0.69%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.24 €1.10
$0.82 €0.73
51.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.60 €12.99
$6.56 €5.83
122.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.51 €5.79
$5.62 €5.00
15.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.48 €1.31
$1.28 €1.14
15.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.49 €2.22
$2.07 €1.84
20.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Voorburg
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.31 €2.95
$2.35 €2.09
40.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$92.8 €82.6
$44.18 €39.30
110.07%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.70 €4.18
$3.99 €3.55
17.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.49 €3.10
$1.09 €0.97
220.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$67.6 €60.1
$16.64 €14.81
306.25%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.54 €2.26
$2.28 €2.03
11.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$40.6K €36.1K
$33.7K €30.0K
20.46%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K €35.3K
$39.3K €35.0K
0.91%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Voorburg
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$296 €264
$167 €149
77.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$21.38 €19.01
$18.80 €16.72
13.72%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$55.6 €49.42
$33.09 €29.43
67.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Voorburg
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.81 €36.30
$46.01 €40.93
-11.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$25.92 €23.06
$19.19 €17.07
35.07%
Cinema Ticket
$15.38 €13.68
$9.84 €8.75
56.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Voorburg
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,633 €2,342
$677 €602
288.81%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.9K €11.4K
$16.9K €15.1K
-24.02%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Voorburg
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$91.6 €81.5
$101 €90.1
-9.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$38.53 €34.28
$45.76 €40.70
-15.80%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$108 €96.3
$100.0 €88.9
8.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$144 €128
$123 €109
16.89%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Voorburg
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,201 €1,068
$1,614 €1,436
-25.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,196 €1,064
$1,197 €1,065
-0.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,599 €2,311
$2,862 €2,545
-9.19%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,689 €1,502
$1,990 €1,770
-15.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,232 €4,654
$7,577 €6,740
-30.95%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,284 €3,810
$4,307 €3,831
-0.55%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Voorburg
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,588 €1,412
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.49
3.85
-9.35%

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

Last update for Voorburg: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Voorburg
$1.2K
Lisbon
$1.2K 0.1% $1.3
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Voorburg
$373
Lisbon
$219 41.2% $154
Groceries & Markets
Voorburg
$342
Lisbon
$269 21.2% $73
Eating Out
Voorburg
$330
Lisbon
$242 26.7% $88
Clothing & Footwear
Voorburg
$172
Lisbon
$166 3.2% $5.5
Getting Around
Voorburg
$128
Lisbon
$63 50.9% $65
Sport & Entertainment
Voorburg
$72
Lisbon
$66 8.2% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,201 in Voorburg and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $82.0 in Voorburg vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $342 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇱 Voorburg
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
05:43 5:43 AM
04:43 4:43 AM
1 h behind Voorburg
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
45,945
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Voorburg Lisbon 1,820 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Voorburg
  • 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
Voorburg vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Voorburg and in Lisbon?
Voorburg and Lisbon differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($2,613 vs $2,223 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Voorburg compared to Lisbon?
You'd need roughly $3,920 in Voorburg and $3,335 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Voorburg and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,201 in Voorburg versus $1,614 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 Voorburg and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $2,633 in Voorburg versus $677 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 27% higher in Voorburg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $2,613 in Voorburg, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Voorburg. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Voorburg 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 Voorburg or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Voorburg 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: Voorburg or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Voorburg. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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