Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Halmstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Halmstad: $1,608 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $7,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Halmstad, Sweden
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Halmstad
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,608
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Halmstad

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 Halmstad actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,608 in Halmstad, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Halmstad $1,608

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $2,517 in Halmstad, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Halmstad $2,517

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $3,426 in Halmstad, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Halmstad $3,426

Lisbon costs about 37% more than Halmstad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Lisbon and Halmstad sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Halmstad by 18%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Halmstad
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.95
$13.09 SEK 130
27.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$70.6 SEK 701
-12.56%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$11.47 SEK 114
-0.96%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$4.67 SEK 46.42
-36.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$2.86 SEK 28.43
-19.93%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.38 SEK 23.62
-26.89%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
$7.02 SEK 69.7
-51.57%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$7.18 SEK 71.3
-53.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Halmstad
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.49 SEK 14.79
-22.15%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$2.49 SEK 24.73
-23.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$3.16 SEK 31.38
-52.22%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$3.34 SEK 33.14
20.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$11.17 SEK 111
15.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.98
$8.98 SEK 89.2
-13.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.95
$16.48 SEK 164
7.77%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$3.12 SEK 31.00
-26.28%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$2.53 SEK 25.13
-31.62%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$2.99 SEK 29.71
-37.79%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$3.99 SEK 39.61
-35.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$1.53 SEK 15.22
18.95%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$1.48 SEK 14.66
33.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$1.97 SEK 19.52
-25.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.86 SEK 8.49
-16.28%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.91
$6.58 SEK 65.4
-
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
$10.43 SEK 104
-46.21%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.01 SEK 19.97
-32.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
$2.24 SEK 22.25
-4.46%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Halmstad
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$2.82 SEK 28.05
-17.38%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$65.4 SEK 649
-31.66%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$6.06 SEK 60.2
-36.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.65 SEK 16.42
-35.15%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$59.1 SEK 587
-72.13%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$1.83 SEK 18.18
20.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$33.2K SEK 329.7K
3.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$33.3K SEK 330.4K
16.39%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Halmstad
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$105 SEK 1,042
53.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$19.73 SEK 196
-6.69%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$34.15 SEK 339
-4.13%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Halmstad
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.02
$34.85 SEK 346
27.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$16.80 SEK 167
-42.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Halmstad
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$149 SEK 1,482
347.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$4,359 SEK 43.3K
304.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Halmstad
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.6
$88.7 SEK 880
15.08%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.94
$32.58 SEK 324
36.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$89.1 SEK 885
10.54%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$130 SEK 1,290
-4.77%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Halmstad
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$586 SEK 5,821
174.39%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$553 SEK 5,496
115.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,526
$1,119 SEK 11.1K
151.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,808
$972 SEK 9,650
107.20%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,042
$4,339 SEK 43.1K
80.64%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,110
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Halmstad
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
$2,263 SEK 22.5K
-30.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3.06
25.82%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Halmstad: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Halmstad
$553 53.5% $637
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Halmstad
$317 16.6% $45
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Halmstad
$266 9.5% $23
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Halmstad
$159 25.2% $54
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Halmstad
$153 7.7% $13
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Halmstad
$68 7.4% $4.7
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Halmstad
$91 44% $28

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $586 in Halmstad. 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 44% higher in Halmstad, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $71 in Halmstad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $317 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇸🇪 Halmstad
🕒 Local time
00:12 12:12 AM
01:12 1:12 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
55,688
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 9.93 SEK (1 SEK = 0.101 USD). 1 EUR = 11.06 SEK (100 SEK = 9.05 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Halmstad 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Halmstad

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 Halmstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Halmstad?
Lisbon costs about 37% more than Halmstad, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from clothing. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lisbon and in Halmstad?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $2,412 in Halmstad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Lisbon or Halmstad?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Halmstad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $586 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
Are groceries more expensive in Lisbon or in Halmstad?
Interestingly, groceries are about 14% cheaper in Lisbon – one category where the pricier city actually offers better value.
How do dining costs compare in Lisbon and in Halmstad?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $71 in Halmstad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Lisbon or in Halmstad?
A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Halmstad, where all-in costs run around $1,608, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Halmstad it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Halmstad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Lisbon compared to Halmstad?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.

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