Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bålsta Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bålsta

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,640 in Bålsta.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,500 in Bålsta.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,359 in Bålsta.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 35% more expensive than Bålsta, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Bålsta 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$13.33 SEK 125

19.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$68.3 SEK 641

-5.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$9.44 SEK 88.7

11.33%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.10 SEK 38.53

-30.00%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.78 SEK 26.09

-19.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.40 SEK 22.58

-37.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$7.35 SEK 69.1

-52.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$7.51 SEK 70.5

-48.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.62 SEK 15.26

-29.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$2.08 SEK 19.54

-15.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$3.79 SEK 35.60

-53.56%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.91 SEK 36.75

-17.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$11.38 SEK 107

18.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$11.86 SEK 111

-33.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$11.38 SEK 107

39.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.72 SEK 25.54

-15.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.65 SEK 24.93

-35.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.38 SEK 22.35

-15.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.92 SEK 27.45

-15.75%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.56 SEK 14.66

17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.30 SEK 12.22

53.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.60 SEK 15.07

20.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.04 SEK 9.75

-24.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$7.52 SEK 70.6

-12.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$10.83 SEK 102

-47.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.55 SEK 14.59

-11.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.95 SEK 18.35

52.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.41 SEK 32.04

-30.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$73.0 SEK 686

-37.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$6.20 SEK 58.2

-30.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.19 SEK 11.21

-31.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$81.6 SEK 766

-77.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.93 SEK 18.17

6.74%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$32.0K SEK 300.3K

7.24%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$34.4K SEK 323.0K

14.28%

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

$148 €127

$53.1 SEK 499

178.47%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$20.82 SEK 196

-1.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$36.89 SEK 346

7.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$39.85 SEK 374

20.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$25.53 SEK 240

-25.89%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$13.50 SEK 127

-32.00%

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

$614 €529

$125 SEK 1,173

391.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$748 SEK 7,025

2045.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$75.3 SEK 707

38.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$10.66 SEK 100

294.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$84.6 SEK 794

11.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$115 SEK 1,081

4.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$842 SEK 7,913

93.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$664 SEK 6,240

88.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,413 SEK 13.3K

114.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$1,074 SEK 10.1K

88.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$4,129 SEK 38.8K

88.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$2,918 SEK 27.4K

46.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$4,120 SEK 38.7K

-61.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

27.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bålsta: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $842 in Bålsta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bålsta pays 157% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $68.0 in Bålsta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $309 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

Lisbon vs Bålsta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bålsta wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bålsta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Bålsta earns 157% less. 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $842 in Bålsta. 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 $1,640 in Bålsta – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bålsta runs roughly 60% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,640 in Bålsta versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bålsta but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bålsta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bålsta delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,640 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bålsta hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Bålsta 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 Bålsta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.