Cost of Living Comparison Between Copenhagen and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Copenhagen and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,107 per month in Copenhagen vs $2,316 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,694 per month in Copenhagen vs $3,361 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,280 per month in Copenhagen vs $4,405 in Lisbon, rent included.

Copenhagen costs about 34% more than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Copenhagen and Lisbon sit above the global median – Copenhagen by 126%, Lisbon by 69%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.42 DKK 151

$17.30 €14.87

35.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 DKK 785

$63.3 €54.4

93.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.82 DKK 88.8

$11.39 €9.79

21.33%

Cappuccino

$7.22 DKK 46.42

$3.19 €2.74

126.33%

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

$5.31 DKK 34.15

$2.45 €2.10

116.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 DKK 25.58

$1.76 €1.52

126.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.55 DKK 61.4

$3.59 €3.09

166.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 DKK 50.8

$3.39 €2.92

133.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 DKK 14.57

$1.24 €1.06

83.06%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 DKK 30.51

$1.98 €1.71

139.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 DKK 20.39

$1.52 €1.31

108.55%

Eggs

$5.95 DKK 38.23

$4.04 €3.47

47.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.07 DKK 116

$13.54 €11.64

33.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.08 DKK 90.5

$8.39 €7.21

67.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.55 DKK 164

$18.25 €15.69

40.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 DKK 23.13

$2.29 €1.97

57.21%

Banana (1kg)

$3.41 DKK 21.89

$1.74 €1.50

95.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 DKK 27.93

$1.86 €1.60

133.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.82 DKK 37.43

$2.63 €2.26

121.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 DKK 16.00

$1.92 €1.65

29.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 DKK 13.78

$2.09 €1.80

2.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 DKK 15.19

$1.44 €1.24

63.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 DKK 9.03

$0.84 €0.72

67.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.96 DKK 64.0

$6.78 €5.83

46.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.32 DKK 72.7

$5.71 €4.91

98.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 DKK 11.55

$1.38 €1.18

30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 DKK 16.10

$2.22 €1.91

13.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.67 DKK 23.57

$2.40 €2.06

52.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$114 DKK 735

$46.78 €40.22

144.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.92 DKK 38.06

$4.17 €3.59

41.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 DKK 11.23

$1.14 €0.98

53.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$93.9 DKK 604

$17.68 €15.20

431.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.58 DKK 16.60

$2.32 €2.00

11.21%

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

$52.0K DKK 334.3K

$35.3K €30.4K

47.20%

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

$54.0K DKK 346.7K

$41.4K €35.6K

30.17%

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

$192 DKK 1,236

$170 €146

12.86%

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

$12.24 DKK 78.6

$19.34 €16.62

-36.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.02 DKK 251

$33.64 €28.92

15.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.6 DKK 428

$48.10 €41.35

38.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$38.07 DKK 245

$19.90 €17.11

91.31%

Cinema Ticket

$20.55 DKK 132

$9.92 €8.53

107.16%

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

$995 DKK 6,392

$717 €617

38.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,898 DKK 57.2K

$17.5K €15.0K

-49.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$109 DKK 699

$105 €90.1

3.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 DKK 356

$46.95 €40.36

17.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 DKK 880

$103 €88.9

32.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$209 DKK 1,345

$124 €107

68.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,027 DKK 13.0K

$1,677 €1,441

20.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,474 DKK 9,477

$1,271 €1,093

16.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,355 DKK 21.6K

$2,985 €2,566

12.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,267 DKK 14.6K

$1,992 €1,713

13.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K DKK 76.0K

$7,826 €6,728

51.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,609 DKK 55.3K

$4,658 €4,004

84.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,589 DKK 29.5K

$1,583 €1,361

189.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.79

0.53%

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

Last update for Copenhagen: September 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,027 in Copenhagen versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 190% higher in Copenhagen, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Copenhagen versus $63.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $468 vs $283 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Copenhagen vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Copenhagen costs about 34% more than Lisbon, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,661 per month in Copenhagen and $3,474 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Lisbon, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $122 in Copenhagen and $63.0 in Lisbon. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $3,107 in Copenhagen and $2,316 in Lisbon. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $3,107 in Copenhagen and $2,316 in Lisbon. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Lisbon costs $2,316 versus $3,107 in Copenhagen. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Lisbon. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Copenhagen makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.