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: $2,218 in Arendal versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,391 in Arendal versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,563 in Arendal versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs are close between Arendal and Lisbon; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 66% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.87 NOK 166

$15.91 €13.69

12.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 NOK 700

$64.8 €55.7

16.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.93 NOK 139

$10.51 €9.04

42.06%

Cappuccino

$5.17 NOK 48.00

$2.87 €2.47

80.14%

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

$3.18 NOK 29.50

$2.24 €1.93

41.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 NOK 28.47

$1.50 €1.29

104.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.16 NOK 104

$3.49 €3.00

219.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.17 NOK 94.5

$3.88 €3.34

162.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.37 NOK 21.98

$1.14 €0.98

107.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 NOK 28.41

$1.75 €1.51

74.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.59 NOK 33.39

$1.76 €1.51

103.98%

Eggs

$4.33 NOK 40.26

$3.22 €2.77

34.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 NOK 123

$13.49 €11.61

-2.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.42 NOK 143

$7.91 €6.81

94.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.81 NOK 258

$15.87 €13.65

75.24%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 31.98

$2.31 €1.99

48.92%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.40

$1.70 €1.46

48.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 NOK 27.93

$2.01 €1.73

49.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.75 NOK 44.13

$2.46 €2.12

93.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 19.74

$1.84 €1.59

15.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 NOK 27.17

$2.00 €1.72

46.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.52 NOK 23.45

$1.93 €1.66

30.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 NOK 16.52

$0.79 €0.68

125.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.98 NOK 139

$6.61 €5.68

126.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.12 NOK 168

$5.72 €4.92

216.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 NOK 30.92

$1.37 €1.17

143.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.02 NOK 37.37

$2.97 €2.56

35.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 NOK 35.57

$2.37 €2.04

61.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$103 NOK 957

$45.56 €39.19

126.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.88 NOK 73.2

$4.29 €3.69

83.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.05 NOK 19.02

$0.82 €0.70

150.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.93 NOK 278

$18.30 €15.74

63.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.55

$2.06 €1.78

1.94%

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

$34.5K NOK 320.8K

$34.3K €29.5K

0.73%

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

$32.7K NOK 304.1K

$39.3K €33.8K

-16.70%

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

$187 NOK 1,734

$148 €127

26.25%

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

$35.07 NOK 326

$20.52 €17.65

70.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.6 NOK 683

$39.61 €34.08

85.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.98 NOK 409

$47.85 €41.16

-8.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$53.8 NOK 499

$18.92 €16.28

184.09%

Cinema Ticket

$11.98 NOK 111

$9.18 €7.90

30.50%

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

$302 NOK 2,801

$614 €528

-50.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.6K

$16.0K €13.8K

-37.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.5 NOK 887

$105 €90.0

-8.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.1 NOK 549

$42.06 €36.18

40.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 NOK 973

$94.0 €80.8

11.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 NOK 1,449

$120 €103

30.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,100 NOK 10.2K

$1,628 €1,400

-32.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$695 NOK 6,455

$1,255 €1,080

-44.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 NOK 12.0K

$3,030 €2,607

-57.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,145 NOK 10.6K

$2,020 €1,738

-43.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,174 NOK 29.5K

$7,800 €6,709

-59.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,170 NOK 20.2K

$4,273 €3,675

-49.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,262 NOK 39.6K

$1,603 €1,379

165.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.6

3.81

-5.51%

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

Last update for Arendal: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,100 in Arendal and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 166% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75.0 in Arendal vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $269 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 pays 166% more on average, 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: $1,100 in Arendal versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $302 in Arendal versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lisbon – a meal for two runs $65.0 versus $75.0 in Arendal. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,218 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.

It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Arendal on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.