Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Akranes

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,713 in Akranes, rent and utilities included – about $18,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
179

Cost of Living Index in Akranes
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Akranes Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Akranes

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,713

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Akranes

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,713 in Akranes.

Lisbon $2,210
Akranes $3,713

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $5,859 in Akranes.

Lisbon $3,275
Akranes $5,859

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $8,006 in Akranes.

Lisbon $4,341
Akranes $8,006

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 40% less than in Akranes, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Akranes 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$31.70 ISK 3,851

-47.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$123 ISK 15.0K

-49.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$26.72 ISK 3,246

-57.49%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$6.01 ISK 731

-50.58%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$3.19 ISK 388

-28.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.51 ISK 305

-30.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$10.69 ISK 1,299

-68.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$8.10 ISK 985

-59.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$2.10 ISK 255

-44.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.04 ISK 248

-6.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$3.71 ISK 451

-59.30%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$6.26 ISK 761

-35.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$20.35 ISK 2,472

-36.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$24.72 ISK 3,004

-68.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$42.16 ISK 5,123

-57.87%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$3.30 ISK 401

-30.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.72 ISK 330

-36.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$3.23 ISK 393

-42.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$4.89 ISK 594

-47.03%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$3.82 ISK 464

-52.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.71 ISK 208

15.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$3.65 ISK 443

-59.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$1.81 ISK 220

-60.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$13.90 ISK 1,688

-52.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$23.57 ISK 2,864

-76.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.88 ISK 350

-52.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.07 ISK 251

3.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$3.61 ISK 439

-35.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$72.3 ISK 8,785

-38.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$6.55 ISK 795

-41.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.25 ISK 152

-14.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$81.9 ISK 9,952

-79.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.08 ISK 252

5.77%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$67.8K ISK 8.2M

-49.59%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$54.6K ISK 6.6M

-29.02%

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

$161 €144

$96.4 ISK 11.7K

67.29%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$33.29 ISK 4,045

-44.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$85.0 ISK 10.3K

-61.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$104 ISK 12.7K

-57.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$19.29 ISK 2,344

-50.23%

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

$668 €598

$1,205 ISK 146.4K

-44.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$26.1K ISK 3.2M

-32.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$150 ISK 18.2K

-31.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$67.1 ISK 8,153

-33.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$179 ISK 21.8K

-45.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$246 ISK 29.9K

-49.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$3,064 ISK 372.3K

-47.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$1,889 ISK 229.5K

-37.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$5,013 ISK 609.1K

-43.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$3,654 ISK 444.0K

-44.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$5,704 ISK 693.0K

-72.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

8.81

-56.30%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Akranes: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Akranes

$1.9K 50.9% 58.7% $699

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Akranes

$579 15.6% 113% $307

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Akranes

$498 13.4% 105% $256

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Akranes

$215 5.8% 1.1% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Akranes

$289 7.8% 74.1% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Akranes

$143 3.9% 124% $79

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Akranes

$100 2.7% 57.5% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $3,064 in Akranes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Akranes pays about 3.6 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $123 in Akranes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $579 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇸 Akranes

🕒 Local time

01:54 1:54 AM

Same time as Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

7,800

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.39 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 122 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.23 USD). 1 EUR = 135 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.39 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Akranes 2,970 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Akranes

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

Lisbon vs Akranes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Akranes. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lisbon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 72% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $3,064 in Akranes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $3,713 in Akranes – Lisbon is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Lisbon runs roughly 38% less than in Akranes. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,713 in Akranes, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Akranes. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Akranes are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Akranes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.