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: $2,237 in Arendal versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,331 in Arendal versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,425 in Arendal versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Arendal costs roughly 2% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Arendal 67% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.94 NOK 173

$16.19 €14.15

10.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.4 NOK 717

$63.3 €55.3

17.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 NOK 143

$10.32 €9.02

44.19%

Cappuccino

$5.08 NOK 48.93

$2.83 €2.47

79.51%

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

$3.21 NOK 30.96

$2.29 €2.00

40.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 NOK 29.57

$1.58 €1.38

94.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.20 NOK 108

$3.40 €2.97

229.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.23 NOK 98.6

$4.03 €3.52

153.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 NOK 22.44

$1.09 €0.95

113.76%

White Bread (500g)

$3.06 NOK 29.51

$1.75 €1.53

74.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.53 NOK 34.05

$1.76 €1.54

100.57%

Eggs

$4.37 NOK 42.05

$3.17 €2.77

37.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.84 NOK 124

$13.19 €11.53

-2.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.79 NOK 152

$7.97 €6.96

98.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.39 NOK 264

$15.53 €13.57

76.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 NOK 32.63

$2.37 €2.07

43.04%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 NOK 25.24

$1.71 €1.49

53.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.68

$2.01 €1.75

53.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.59 NOK 44.26

$2.43 €2.12

88.89%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 NOK 20.58

$1.76 €1.54

21.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 NOK 28.80

$2.03 €1.78

47.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 NOK 24.65

$1.92 €1.68

33.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 NOK 16.96

$0.85 €0.74

107.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.33 NOK 148

$6.58 €5.75

132.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.97 NOK 163

$5.58 €4.87

204.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.34 NOK 32.16

$1.33 €1.16

151.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 NOK 38.44

$2.97 €2.60

34.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.83 NOK 36.93

$2.28 €1.99

67.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 NOK 1,009

$45.79 €40.01

128.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.94 NOK 76.5

$4.23 €3.69

87.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.10 NOK 20.18

$0.81 €0.71

159.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.41 NOK 293

$18.44 €16.11

64.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.05 NOK 19.78

$2.08 €1.82

-1.44%

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

$34.5K NOK 332.6K

$34.7K €30.3K

-0.40%

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

$32.4K NOK 312.1K

$39.2K €34.2K

-17.25%

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

$193 NOK 1,861

$148 €129

30.53%

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

$35.70 NOK 344

$20.46 €17.88

74.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 NOK 710

$39.56 €34.56

86.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.57 NOK 429

$47.99 €41.93

-7.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$52.6 NOK 507

$18.60 €16.25

182.85%

Cinema Ticket

$12.25 NOK 118

$9.22 €8.06

32.86%

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

$308 NOK 2,964

$616 €538

-50.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,980 NOK 96.1K

$16.4K €14.4K

-39.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 NOK 917

$103 €89.7

-7.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$58.8 NOK 566

$41.74 €36.47

40.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 NOK 1,002

$94.8 €82.8

9.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,559

$122 €107

32.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,076 NOK 10.4K

$1,633 €1,426

-34.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$718 NOK 6,913

$1,232 €1,077

-41.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,314 NOK 12.7K

$3,098 €2,707

-57.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 NOK 11.0K

$2,031 €1,775

-43.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,056 NOK 29.4K

$7,831 €6,842

-60.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,066 NOK 19.9K

$4,389 €3,835

-52.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,050 NOK 39.0K

$1,607 €1,404

151.96%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,076 in Arendal and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Arendal pays 152% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Arendal vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $456 vs $267 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 2% in total monthly costs ($2,237 vs $2,291 including rent). Arendal is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 152% 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: $1,076 in Arendal versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $308 in Arendal versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 70% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,237 in Arendal versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Arendal but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Arendal 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 Arendal gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.