Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Helsinki and Lisbon

For one person, living costs are similar in Helsinki and in Lisbon: $2,192 and $2,202 a month, rent and utilities included.

106

Cost of Living Index in Helsinki
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Helsinki Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Helsinki

🇫🇮 Finland

$2,192

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Helsinki and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Helsinki and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,192 in Helsinki versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

Helsinki $2,192
Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,545 in Helsinki versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

Helsinki $3,545
Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,898 in Helsinki versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

Helsinki $4,898
Lisbon $4,346

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Helsinki 62% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.21 €16.20

$17.04 €15.15

6.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$113 €100

$62.3 €55.4

80.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.90

$11.02 €9.80

21.42%

Cappuccino

$5.18 €4.61

$3.12 €2.78

66.03%

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

$3.46 €3.08

$2.27 €2.02

52.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 €2.36

$1.74 €1.55

52.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.67 €8.60

$3.42 €3.04

182.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.78 €7.81

$3.74 €3.33

134.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.17 €1.04

17.09%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 €2.45

$1.86 €1.66

48.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.66 €2.36

$1.54 €1.37

72.73%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.60

$4.06 €3.61

-0.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.65 €8.58

$12.91 €11.49

-25.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.38 €11.90

$7.90 €7.03

69.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.50 €22.68

$17.64 €15.69

44.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.74 €2.43

$2.26 €2.01

21.24%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 €1.98

$1.75 €1.55

27.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.53 €2.25

$1.89 €1.68

33.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 €3.44

$2.56 €2.27

50.78%

Potato (1kg)

$1.24 €1.11

$1.85 €1.64

-32.97%

Onion (1kg)

$1.59 €1.42

$1.97 €1.75

-19.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.45 €1.29

55.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$0.77 €0.69

118.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.73 €12.21

$6.71 €5.97

104.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.91 €14.15

$5.67 €5.04

180.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.32

$1.37 €1.22

172.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 €3.61

$2.11 €1.88

91.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.81 €3.39

$2.32 €2.07

64.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.0 €72.0

$44.43 €39.52

82.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$16.11 €14.33

$3.95 €3.51

307.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 €1.15

$1.05 €0.93

23.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.1 €69.5

$17.15 €15.26

355.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.04

$2.19 €1.95

4.57%

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

$36.6K €32.5K

$33.8K €30.0K

8.30%

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

$37.0K €32.9K

$38.3K €34.0K

-3.20%

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

$140 €124

$164 €146

-14.63%

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

$26.22 €23.32

$18.48 €16.43

41.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$24.32 €21.63

$32.96 €29.32

-26.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.42 €41.29

$45.87 €40.80

1.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$37.13 €33.03

$18.68 €16.61

98.77%

Cinema Ticket

$18.40 €16.36

$9.75 €8.67

88.72%

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

$475 €423

$684 €608

-30.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K €11.4K

$17.6K €15.7K

-27.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.3 €83.0

$104 €92.3

-10.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.95 €38.20

$46.20 €41.09

-7.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 €95.2

$99.7 €88.7

7.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 €131

$125 €111

18.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 €1,089

$1,589 €1,414

-22.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$894 €795

$1,169 €1,040

-23.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,309 €2,054

$2,851 €2,536

-18.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,714 €1,524

$1,993 €1,773

-14.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,765 €8,686

$7,793 €6,932

25.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,249 €3,780

$4,418 €3,930

-3.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,215 €2,860

$1,600 €1,423

100.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.65

3.85

-5.19%

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

Last update for Helsinki: October 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Helsinki

$894 40.8%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1% 30.8% $275

Groceries & Markets

Helsinki

$392 17.9%

Lisbon

$273 12.4% 30.3% $119

Eating Out

Helsinki

$338 15.4%

Lisbon

$247 11.2% 26.9% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Helsinki

$190 8.7%

Lisbon

$215 9.8% 13.1% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Helsinki

$176 8%

Lisbon

$168 7.7% 4.3% $7.5

Getting Around

Helsinki

$119 5.4%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 47% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Helsinki

$83 3.8%

Lisbon

$65 3% 21.4% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,225 in Helsinki and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsinki pays 101% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $113 in Helsinki vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇫🇮 Helsinki

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

14:36 2:36 PM

12:36 12:36 PM

2 h behind Helsinki

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

674,963 Capital

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Helsinki Lisbon 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Helsinki
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Helsinki vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 101% higher in Helsinki, 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: $1,225 in Helsinki versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Helsinki runs roughly 82% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 43% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,192 in Helsinki versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Helsinki but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Helsinki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Helsinki is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Helsinki 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 – Helsinki wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.