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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,028 per month in Copenhagen vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,732 per month in Copenhagen vs $3,311 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,435 per month in Copenhagen vs $4,411 in Lisbon, rent included.

Copenhagen costs about 37% more than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Copenhagen and Lisbon sit above the global median – Copenhagen by 126%, Lisbon by 65%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.66 DKK 165

$15.91 €13.70

61.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$126 DKK 813

$64.8 €55.8

94.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.53 DKK 100.0

$10.51 €9.05

47.76%

Cappuccino

$6.61 DKK 42.53

$2.87 €2.47

130.31%

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

$4.29 DKK 27.64

$2.24 €1.93

91.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 DKK 21.21

$1.50 €1.29

120.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.18 DKK 59.1

$3.49 €3.01

163.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.81 DKK 56.7

$3.88 €3.34

127.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.17 DKK 13.94

$1.14 €0.98

90.35%

White Bread (500g)

$4.72 DKK 30.40

$1.75 €1.51

169.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 DKK 21.41

$1.76 €1.51

89.20%

Eggs

$5.73 DKK 36.87

$3.22 €2.77

77.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.60 DKK 100

$13.49 €11.61

15.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.37 DKK 79.6

$7.91 €6.81

56.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.21 DKK 111

$15.87 €13.67

8.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 DKK 20.83

$2.31 €1.99

40.26%

Banana (1kg)

$3.56 DKK 22.91

$1.70 €1.46

109.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.69 DKK 23.72

$2.01 €1.73

83.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 DKK 35.69

$2.46 €2.12

125.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 DKK 16.53

$1.84 €1.59

39.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 DKK 14.43

$2.00 €1.72

12.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 DKK 15.03

$1.93 €1.66

21.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.66 DKK 10.71

$0.79 €0.68

110.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.17 DKK 65.5

$6.61 €5.69

53.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.86 DKK 76.4

$5.72 €4.93

107.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 DKK 11.25

$1.37 €1.18

27.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 DKK 16.04

$2.97 €2.56

-16.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.68 DKK 23.67

$2.37 €2.04

55.27%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 DKK 752

$45.56 €39.22

156.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.89 DKK 50.8

$4.29 €3.69

83.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.07 DKK 13.33

$0.82 €0.70

152.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$109 DKK 700

$18.30 €15.76

494.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.30 DKK 14.83

$2.06 €1.78

11.65%

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

$50.1K DKK 322.4K

$34.3K €29.5K

46.11%

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

$52.0K DKK 335.0K

$39.3K €33.8K

32.46%

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

$198 DKK 1,275

$148 €127

33.96%

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

$17.43 DKK 112

$20.52 €17.67

-15.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.66 DKK 275

$39.61 €34.10

7.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 DKK 358

$47.85 €41.19

16.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.84 DKK 231

$18.92 €16.29

89.43%

Cinema Ticket

$20.01 DKK 129

$9.18 €7.91

117.97%

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

$600 DKK 3,864

$614 €529

-2.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K DKK 103.0K

$16.0K €13.8K

-0.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$129 DKK 833

$105 €90.1

23.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.7 DKK 346

$42.06 €36.21

27.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 DKK 893

$94.0 €80.9

47.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$195 DKK 1,255

$120 €103

62.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,014 DKK 13.0K

$1,628 €1,401

23.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,454 DKK 9,359

$1,255 €1,081

15.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,579 DKK 23.0K

$3,030 €2,609

18.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,492 DKK 16.0K

$2,020 €1,739

23.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.2K DKK 72.3K

$7,800 €6,715

44.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,623 DKK 49.1K

$4,273 €3,678

78.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,784 DKK 30.8K

$1,603 €1,380

198.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.19

3.81

9.97%

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

Last update for Copenhagen: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,014 in Copenhagen versus $1,628 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 198% 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 $126 in Copenhagen versus $65.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $424 vs $269 – 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 37% more than Lisbon, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,542 per month in Copenhagen and $3,315 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 $126 in Copenhagen and $65.0 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 $3,028 in Copenhagen and $2,210 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 $3,028 in Copenhagen and $2,210 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 $2,210 versus $3,028 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.