Cost of Living Comparison Between Lerwick and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Lerwick and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,312 in Lerwick versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,374 in Lerwick versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,435 in Lerwick versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Lerwick is roughly 5% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lerwick 73% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.16 £15.12

$15.91 €13.80

26.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.3 £61.0

$64.8 €56.2

25.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.14 £7.60

$10.51 €9.12

-3.52%

Cappuccino

$4.61 £3.45

$2.87 €2.49

60.63%

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

$2.29 £1.71

$2.24 €1.95

2.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 £1.20

$1.50 €1.30

6.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.24 £4.68

$3.49 €3.03

78.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.01 £4.51

$3.88 €3.37

54.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 £1.18

$1.14 €0.99

38.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.61 £1.20

$1.75 €1.52

-8.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 £1.65

$1.76 €1.52

24.43%

Eggs

$3.88 £2.91

$3.22 €2.79

20.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.06 £7.55

$13.49 €11.70

-25.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 £6.75

$7.91 €6.87

13.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.81 £10.36

$15.87 €13.77

-12.98%

Apples (1kg)

$3.12 £2.34

$2.31 €2.00

35.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.63 £1.23

$1.70 €1.48

-4.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.86 £2.15

$2.01 €1.74

42.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.60 £2.70

$2.46 €2.13

46.34%

Potato (1kg)

$1.68 £1.26

$1.84 €1.60

-8.70%

Onion (1kg)

$1.48 £1.11

$2.00 €1.74

-26.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.80

$1.93 €1.67

-45.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 £1.11

$0.79 €0.68

87.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.37 £14.53

$6.61 €5.73

193.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.18 £8.38

$5.72 €4.97

95.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 £2.11

$1.37 €1.18

105.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 £2.33

$2.97 €2.58

4.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.27 £2.45

$2.37 €2.06

37.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 £67.0

$45.56 €39.52

96.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.55 £4.16

$4.29 €3.72

29.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.53 £1.15

$0.82 €0.71

86.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.72 £17.04

$18.30 €15.88

24.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.94 £1.45

$2.06 €1.79

-5.83%

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

$38.3K £28.7K

$34.3K €29.7K

11.65%

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

$40.8K £30.6K

$39.3K €34.1K

3.79%

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

$296 £222

$148 €128

99.84%

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

$17.23 £12.92

$20.52 €17.80

-16.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.36 £32.51

$39.61 €34.37

9.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.04 £33.77

$47.85 €41.51

-5.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

Cinema Ticket

$13.71 £10.28

$9.18 €7.97

49.35%

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

$1,576 £1,182

$614 €533

156.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.5K £13.9K

$16.0K €13.9K

15.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$82.8 £62.1

$105 €90.8

-20.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.14 £32.35

$42.06 €36.49

2.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 £69.6

$94.0 €81.5

-1.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.0 £72.7

$120 €104

-18.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,224 £918

$1,628 €1,412

-24.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,011 £758

$1,255 €1,089

-19.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,074 £1,555

$3,030 €2,629

-31.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 £1,285

$2,020 €1,753

-15.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,753 £3,564

$7,800 €6,766

-39.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.63

3.81

47.77%

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

Last update for Lerwick: May 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,224 in Lerwick and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81.0 in Lerwick vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $269 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

Lerwick vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon is cheaper overall, especially in Eating Out, Groceries & Markets, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment, Monthly Utilities & Internet. The 5% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,468 in Lerwick and $3,315 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,224 in Lerwick versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,312 per month in Lerwick versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 96% less than in Lerwick. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,312 in Lerwick, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Lerwick. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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

Safety-wise, Lerwick 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Lerwick. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.