Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Helsinki

For one person, living costs are similar in Lisbon and in Helsinki: $2,202 and $2,192 a month, rent and utilities included.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
106

Cost of Living Index in Helsinki
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Helsinki Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Helsinki

🇫🇮 Finland

$2,192

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Helsinki

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $2,192 in Helsinki.

Lisbon $2,202
Helsinki $2,192

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $3,545 in Helsinki.

Lisbon $3,274
Helsinki $3,545

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $4,898 in Helsinki.

Lisbon $4,346
Helsinki $4,898

Monthly costs are close between Lisbon and Helsinki; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$18.21 €16.20

-6.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$113 €100

-44.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$13.38 €11.90

-17.64%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$5.18 €4.61

-39.77%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$3.46 €3.08

-34.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$2.65 €2.36

-34.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$9.67 €8.60

-64.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$8.78 €7.81

-57.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.37 €1.22

-14.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.76 €2.45

-32.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.66 €2.36

-42.11%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$4.04 €3.60

0.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$9.65 €8.58

33.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$13.38 €11.90

-40.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$25.50 €22.68

-30.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.74 €2.43

-17.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$2.23 €1.98

-21.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.53 €2.25

-25.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$3.86 €3.44

-33.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.24 €1.11

49.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.59 €1.42

23.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$2.26 €2.01

-35.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$1.68 €1.50

-54.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$13.73 €12.21

-51.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$15.91 €14.15

-64.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$3.74 €3.32

-63.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$4.05 €3.61

-47.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$3.81 €3.39

-39.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$81.0 €72.0

-45.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$16.11 €14.33

-75.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.30 €1.15

-19.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$78.1 €69.5

-78.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$2.29 €2.04

-4.37%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$36.6K €32.5K

-7.67%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$37.0K €32.9K

3.30%

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

$164 €146

$140 €124

17.13%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$26.22 €23.32

-29.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$24.32 €21.63

35.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$46.42 €41.29

-1.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$37.13 €33.03

-49.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$18.40 €16.36

-47.01%

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

$684 €608

$475 €423

44.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$12.8K €11.4K

37.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$93.3 €83.0

11.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$42.95 €38.20

7.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$107 €95.2

-6.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$148 €131

-15.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$1,225 €1,089

29.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$894 €795

30.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$2,309 €2,054

23.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$1,714 €1,524

16.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$9,765 €8,686

-20.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$4,249 €3,780

3.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$3,215 €2,860

-50.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.65

5.48%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Helsinki: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Helsinki

$894 40.8% 23.5% $275

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Helsinki

$392 17.9% 43.5% $119

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Helsinki

$338 15.4% 36.7% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Helsinki

$190 8.7% 11.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Helsinki

$176 8% 4.5% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Helsinki

$83 3.8% 27.3% $18

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Helsinki

$119 5.4% 88.7% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $1,225 in Helsinki. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Helsinki pays 101% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $113 in Helsinki for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $392 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇫🇮 Helsinki

🕒 Local time

13:29 1:29 PM

15:29 3:29 PM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

674,963 Capital

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Helsinki 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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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 Helsinki: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 101% lower in Helsinki. 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: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $1,225 in Helsinki. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Helsinki runs roughly 82% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 43% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,192 in Helsinki versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Helsinki but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Helsinki the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Helsinki is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Helsinki are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

It comes down to priorities – Helsinki wins on affordability, Lisbon on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.