Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Hella

For one person, living is cheaper in Hella: $1,722 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Hella
🇮🇸 Iceland
$1,722
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Hella

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

A single person spends $2,223 per month in Lisbon vs $1,722 in Hella, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Hella $1,722

A couple spends around $3,271 per month in Lisbon vs $2,928 in Hella, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Hella $2,928

A family of three spends $4,319 per month in Lisbon vs $4,135 in Hella, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Hella $4,135

Lisbon costs about 29% more than Hella, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Lisbon and Hella sit above the global median – Lisbon by 65%, Hella by 28%.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Hella
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$31.26 ISK 3,791
-47.22%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$123 ISK 14.9K
-50.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$27.14 ISK 3,291
-58.47%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$6.93 ISK 841
-55.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$3.36 ISK 407
-32.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$3.07 ISK 373
-43.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$13.71 ISK 1,663
-75.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$12.32 ISK 1,495
-72.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Hella
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$2.04 ISK 247
-45.10%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$4.26 ISK 516
-56.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$3.58 ISK 434
-57.26%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$6.99 ISK 848
-43.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$22.00 ISK 2,668
-42.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$24.51 ISK 2,973
-67.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$41.04 ISK 4,978
-58.65%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$3.35 ISK 406
-32.24%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$2.86 ISK 347
-38.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$3.13 ISK 379
-40.89%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$6.62 ISK 803
-61.18%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$3.81 ISK 463
-51.18%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$1.71 ISK 208
18.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$3.78 ISK 458
-61.90%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$1.77 ISK 215
-53.67%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$13.79 ISK 1,672
-52.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$23.61 ISK 2,863
-76.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$3.71 ISK 449
-65.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$3.50 ISK 425
-40.86%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Hella
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$6.61 ISK 802
-39.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$2.76 ISK 335
-60.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$81.2 ISK 9,844
-79.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.09 ISK 253
9.09%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$51.2K ISK 6.2M
-34.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$54.1K ISK 6.6M
-27.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Hella
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$95.2 ISK 11.5K
75.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$33.16 ISK 4,022
-43.31%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$87.7 ISK 10.6K
-62.28%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Hella
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$19.67 ISK 2,386
-49.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Hella
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$1,198 ISK 145.2K
-43.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$25.7K ISK 3.1M
-34.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Hella
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$147 ISK 17.8K
-30.96%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$67.0 ISK 8,130
-31.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$183 ISK 22.2K
-45.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$253 ISK 30.7K
-51.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Hella
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Hella
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
-
-
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 11, 2026

Last update for Hella: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Hella
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Hella
$620 130% $351
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Hella
$534 120% $291
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Hella
$216 1.5% $3.3
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Hella
$292 75.7% $126
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Hella
$39 * 40.1% $26
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Hella
$20 * 67.6% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Lisbon versus $123 in Hella. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $620 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇮🇸 Hella
🕒 Local time
03:39 3:39 AM
02:39 2:39 AM
1 h behind Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
900
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

ISK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Hella 2,890 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Hella

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 Hella: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lisbon and in Hella compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon, $1,722 in Hella – roughly 29% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Hella?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,335 per month in Lisbon and $2,583 in Hella. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Hella?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,223 in Lisbon and $1,722 in Hella. That's a gap of about 29%.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Hella?
Kindergarten costs $677 per month in Lisbon and $1,198 in Hella. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Hella, where all-in costs run around $1,722, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Hella it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Hella?
It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,722 in Hella to $2,223 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.
Is Lisbon or Hella safer for residents?
Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Hella?
If budget matters most, go with Hella. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?