Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Arendal and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,777 in Arendal versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,905 in Arendal versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,034 in Arendal versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Arendal is roughly 20% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 102% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.31 NOK 189

$17.30 €14.93

17.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.5 NOK 629

$63.3 €54.6

6.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.90 NOK 148

$11.39 €9.83

39.60%

Cappuccino

$5.55 NOK 51.7

$3.19 €2.75

73.98%

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

$3.60 NOK 33.54

$2.45 €2.11

46.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 31.80

$1.76 €1.52

93.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.90 NOK 111

$3.59 €3.10

231.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.15 NOK 113

$3.39 €2.93

258.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 22.33

$1.24 €1.07

93.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 NOK 33.58

$1.98 €1.71

81.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.95 NOK 36.78

$1.52 €1.31

159.87%

Eggs

$5.04 NOK 46.95

$4.04 €3.49

24.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.87 NOK 139

$13.54 €11.68

9.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.26 NOK 142

$8.39 €7.24

81.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$34.60 NOK 322

$18.25 €15.75

89.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 33.60

$2.29 €1.98

57.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 NOK 26.36

$1.74 €1.50

62.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.64 NOK 33.90

$1.86 €1.60

95.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 NOK 46.14

$2.63 €2.27

88.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.60 NOK 24.26

$1.92 €1.65

35.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 29.32

$2.09 €1.81

50.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 25.93

$1.44 €1.24

93.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 NOK 21.85

$0.84 €0.73

179.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.77 NOK 166

$6.78 €5.85

162.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 NOK 138

$5.71 €4.93

159.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.85 NOK 35.86

$1.38 €1.19

178.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 NOK 41.27

$2.22 €1.91

99.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 NOK 35.49

$2.40 €2.07

58.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.9 NOK 847

$46.78 €40.37

94.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 NOK 59.6

$4.17 €3.60

53.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 NOK 16.35

$1.14 €0.98

53.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$104 NOK 972

$17.68 €15.26

490.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 21.69

$2.32 €2.01

0.43%

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

$48.4K NOK 450.8K

$35.3K €30.5K

36.93%

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

$42.5K NOK 395.8K

$41.4K €35.8K

2.51%

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

$251 NOK 2,337

$170 €147

47.27%

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

$35.15 NOK 327

$19.34 €16.69

81.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.5 NOK 750

$33.64 €29.03

139.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.73 NOK 352

$48.10 €41.50

-21.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.17

Cinema Ticket

$15.95 NOK 149

$9.92 €8.56

60.79%

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

$324 NOK 3,021

$717 €619

-54.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.4K NOK 134.4K

$17.5K €15.1K

-17.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$130 NOK 1,210

$105 €90.4

23.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.60 NOK 416

$46.95 €40.51

-5.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 NOK 1,206

$103 €89.2

25.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$205 NOK 1,912

$124 €107

65.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NOK 10.6K

$1,677 €1,447

-31.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,074 NOK 10.0K

$1,271 €1,097

-15.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,623 NOK 15.1K

$2,985 €2,575

-45.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,489 NOK 13.9K

$1,992 €1,719

-25.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,753

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,019

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,115 NOK 38.3K

$1,583 €1,366

159.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.68

3.79

23.48%

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

Last update for Arendal: August 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,141 in Arendal and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 160% 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: $67.0 in Arendal vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $506 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

Arendal vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arendal and Lisbon differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,777 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 160% higher in Arendal, 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: $1,141 in Arendal versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $324 in Arendal 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 79% higher in Arendal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,316 in Lisbon versus $2,777 in Arendal, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Arendal. 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, Arendal 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 20% less than in Arendal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.