Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Helsingborg Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Helsingborg

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,792 in Helsingborg, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,311 per month in Lisbon vs $2,779 in Helsingborg, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,411 per month in Lisbon vs $3,765 in Helsingborg, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 23% more than Helsingborg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both Lisbon and Helsingborg sit above the global median – Lisbon by 65%, Helsingborg by 34%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.80

$15.52 SEK 147

2.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €56.2

$73.1 SEK 692

-11.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.12

$10.57 SEK 100.0

-0.57%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.49

$4.77 SEK 45.08

-39.83%

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

$2.24 €1.95

$2.91 SEK 27.51

-23.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.74 SEK 25.88

-45.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.03

$7.27 SEK 68.8

-51.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.37

$6.49 SEK 61.4

-40.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.45 SEK 13.70

-21.38%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.52

$2.46 SEK 23.27

-28.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.52

$2.72 SEK 25.69

-35.29%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.79

$4.80 SEK 45.42

-32.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.70

$10.30 SEK 97.5

30.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.87

$11.84 SEK 112

-33.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.77

$16.14 SEK 153

-1.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.00

$2.72 SEK 25.71

-15.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.48

$2.78 SEK 26.33

-38.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$3.27 SEK 30.91

-38.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.13

$3.65 SEK 34.50

-32.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.60

$1.48 SEK 14.00

24.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.74

$1.42 SEK 13.43

40.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.97 SEK 18.66

-2.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.72 SEK 16.23

-54.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.73

$7.15 SEK 67.6

-7.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.97

$9.82 SEK 92.9

-41.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.45 SEK 23.21

-44.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.58

$1.65 SEK 15.61

80.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.06

$3.37 SEK 31.89

-29.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.52

$66.9 SEK 633

-31.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$3.14 SEK 29.73

36.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.65 SEK 15.64

-50.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.88

$20.12 SEK 190

-9.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.79

$1.93 SEK 18.25

6.74%

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

$34.3K €29.7K

$32.1K SEK 303.8K

6.73%

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

$39.3K €34.1K

$34.8K SEK 329.0K

12.99%

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

$148 €128

$120 SEK 1,139

22.85%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$28.86 SEK 273

-28.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.37

$36.37 SEK 344

8.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.51

$39.47 SEK 373

21.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.42

$21.99 SEK 208

-13.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.97

$21.00 SEK 199

-56.29%

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

$614 €533

$147 SEK 1,389

318.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.9K

$4,137 SEK 39.1K

287.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.8

$83.4 SEK 789

25.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.49

$44.13 SEK 418

-4.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €81.5

$84.6 SEK 801

11.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$112 SEK 1,057

7.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,412

$818 SEK 7,739

98.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,089

$643 SEK 6,086

95.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,629

$1,389 SEK 13.1K

118.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,753

$1,138 SEK 10.8K

77.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,766

$3,336 SEK 31.6K

133.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,707

$2,402 SEK 22.7K

77.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,391

$3,072 SEK 29.1K

-47.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.66

-18.24%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Helsingborg: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,628 in Lisbon versus $818 in Helsingborg. 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 92% higher in Helsingborg, 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 $65.0 in Lisbon versus $73.0 in Helsingborg. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $340 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Helsingborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $1,792 in Helsingborg – roughly 23% apart. Lisbon costs more across the board, with Groceries & Markets showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $2,688 in Helsingborg. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Helsingborg, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 47% less in Helsingborg. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $614 per month in Lisbon and $147 in Helsingborg. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Helsingborg, where all-in costs run around $1,792, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Helsingborg it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Lisbon has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,792 in Helsingborg to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

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.

If budget matters most, go with Helsingborg. 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.