Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Karlstad

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlstad: $1,727 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
83

Cost of Living Index in Karlstad
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Karlstad Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Karlstad

🇸🇪 Sweden

$1,727

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Karlstad

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

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $1,727 in Karlstad, rent included.

Lisbon $2,210
Karlstad $1,727

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $2,665 in Karlstad, rent included.

Lisbon $3,275
Karlstad $2,665

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $3,603 in Karlstad, rent included.

Lisbon $4,341
Karlstad $3,603

Lisbon costs about 28% more than Karlstad.

Both Lisbon and Karlstad sit above the global median – Lisbon by 62%, Karlstad by 27%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$15.14 SEK 149

9.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$80.5 SEK 791

-23.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$10.07 SEK 98.9

12.81%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$4.86 SEK 47.71

-38.89%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.45 SEK 24.02

-6.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.16 SEK 21.26

-19.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$8.08 SEK 79.3

-57.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$6.60 SEK 64.8

-49.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.45 SEK 14.23

-20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.83 SEK 27.82

-32.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$3.68 SEK 36.16

-58.97%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$4.37 SEK 42.88

-8.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$10.17 SEK 99.9

27.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$13.96 SEK 137

-44.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$17.73 SEK 174

0.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.95 SEK 28.93

-22.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.68 SEK 26.36

-35.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$3.03 SEK 29.73

-38.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$5.40 SEK 53.0

-52.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.92 SEK 18.81

-5.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.72 SEK 16.85

14.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.64 SEK 25.89

-44.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$1.30 SEK 12.75

-44.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$6.96 SEK 68.3

-5.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$10.17 SEK 99.9

-44.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$2.42 SEK 23.81

-43.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$2.04 SEK 19.99

4.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$3.13 SEK 30.72

-25.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$80.4 SEK 789

-44.41%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$5.46 SEK 53.6

-29.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.29 SEK 12.68

-17.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$60.4 SEK 593

-72.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$1.72 SEK 16.91

27.91%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$32.6K SEK 320.6K

4.73%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$33.8K SEK 331.4K

14.73%

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

$161 €144

$99.4 SEK 976

62.23%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$15.73 SEK 154

17.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$43.76 SEK 430

-25.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$45.27 SEK 445

-1.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$16.66 SEK 164

14.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$14.08 SEK 138

-31.82%

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

$668 €598

$126 SEK 1,237

430.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$106 SEK 1,038

-3.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$39.85 SEK 391

11.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$75.9 SEK 745

29.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$141 SEK 1,385

-12.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$868 SEK 8,524

85.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$575 SEK 5,642

107.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$1,184 SEK 11.6K

137.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$867 SEK 8,510

132.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$3,849 SEK 37.8K

103.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$2,779 SEK 27.3K

64.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$3,203 SEK 31.4K

-50.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

4.09

-5.87%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Karlstad: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Karlstad

$575 33.3% 51.7% $616

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Karlstad

$370 21.4% 36% $98

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Karlstad

$282 16.3% 16.1% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Karlstad

$159 9.2% 25.2% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Karlstad

$163 9.5% 1.7% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Karlstad

$73 4.3% 15.2% $9.7

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Karlstad

$105 6.1% 65.8% $42

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $868 in Karlstad. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Karlstad are about 2 times higher, 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 $81 in Karlstad. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $370 – making Lisbon the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇸🇪 Karlstad

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

06:20 6:20 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

62,797

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Swedish Krona SEK kr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 SEK = 10.18 USD

100 SEK = 9.12 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Karlstad 2,800 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Karlstad

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 Karlstad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 28% more than Karlstad, 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.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $2,590 in Karlstad. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Karlstad, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $868 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $81 in Karlstad. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,727 in Karlstad. That makes Karlstad about 22% cheaper.

$2,500 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,727 in Karlstad, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Karlstad – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.