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

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $3,053 per month in Copenhagen vs $2,291 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $4,676 per month in Copenhagen vs $3,322 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $6,299 per month in Copenhagen vs $4,354 in Lisbon, rent included.

Copenhagen costs about 33% more than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Copenhagen and Lisbon sit above the global median – Copenhagen by 129%, Lisbon by 71%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.05 DKK 164

$16.19 €14.17

54.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 DKK 805

$63.3 €55.4

94.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.57 DKK 102

$10.32 €9.03

50.87%

Cappuccino

$6.64 DKK 43.44

$2.83 €2.48

134.63%

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

$4.28 DKK 28.02

$2.29 €2.00

86.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.37 DKK 22.03

$1.58 €1.38

113.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.28 DKK 60.7

$3.40 €2.98

172.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.98 DKK 58.7

$4.03 €3.52

122.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.27 DKK 14.82

$1.09 €0.95

108.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.81 DKK 31.46

$1.75 €1.53

174.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.35 DKK 21.91

$1.76 €1.54

90.34%

Eggs

$5.62 DKK 36.78

$3.17 €2.77

77.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.47 DKK 101

$13.19 €11.54

17.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 DKK 79.7

$7.97 €6.97

52.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.15 DKK 112

$15.53 €13.59

10.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.34 DKK 21.87

$2.37 €2.07

40.93%

Banana (1kg)

$3.58 DKK 23.40

$1.71 €1.49

109.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 DKK 25.02

$2.01 €1.76

90.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 DKK 35.59

$2.43 €2.13

123.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.65 DKK 17.36

$1.76 €1.54

50.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 DKK 14.46

$2.03 €1.78

8.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 DKK 15.30

$1.92 €1.68

21.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 DKK 10.92

$0.85 €0.74

96.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.04 DKK 65.7

$6.58 €5.76

52.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.25 DKK 73.6

$5.58 €4.88

101.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 DKK 11.34

$1.33 €1.17

30.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.42 DKK 15.85

$2.97 €2.60

-18.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 DKK 24.90

$2.28 €1.99

67.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$118 DKK 769

$45.79 €40.06

156.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.80 DKK 51.0

$4.23 €3.70

84.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.14 DKK 14.01

$0.81 €0.71

164.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$107 DKK 699

$18.44 €16.13

479.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 DKK 14.28

$2.08 €1.82

4.81%

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

$51.4K DKK 335.9K

$34.7K €30.3K

48.14%

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

$52.3K DKK 342.3K

$39.2K €34.3K

33.65%

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

$203 DKK 1,330

$148 €130

37.32%

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

$17.88 DKK 117

$20.46 €17.90

-12.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.21 DKK 283

$39.56 €34.61

9.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 DKK 366

$47.99 €41.99

16.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.11 DKK 236

$18.60 €16.27

94.14%

Cinema Ticket

$20.53 DKK 134

$9.22 €8.07

122.67%

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

$598 DKK 3,910

$616 €539

-2.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K DKK 105.9K

$16.4K €14.4K

-1.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$128 DKK 837

$103 €89.9

24.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.3 DKK 349

$41.74 €36.52

27.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$139 DKK 908

$94.8 €82.9

46.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$198 DKK 1,295

$122 €107

62.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,007 DKK 13.1K

$1,633 €1,428

22.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,447 DKK 9,467

$1,232 €1,078

17.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,535 DKK 23.1K

$3,098 €2,711

14.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 DKK 16.4K

$2,031 €1,777

23.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.8K DKK 77.0K

$7,831 €6,851

50.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,237 DKK 53.9K

$4,389 €3,840

87.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,606 DKK 30.1K

$1,607 €1,406

186.55%

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: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $2,007 in Copenhagen versus $1,633 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 187% 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 $123 in Copenhagen versus $63.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $424 vs $267 – 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 33% 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 $4,579 per month in Copenhagen and $3,437 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 $123 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 $3,053 in Copenhagen and $2,291 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 $3,053 in Copenhagen and $2,291 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 $2,291 versus $3,053 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.