Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Oulu Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Oulu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,956 in Oulu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,961 in Oulu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,966 in Oulu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 17% more expensive than in Oulu, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Oulu 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$17.96 €15.65

-2.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$92.8 €80.9

-32.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$15.81 €13.79

-26.76%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.92 €4.29

-36.99%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.96 €2.58

-15.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$2.34 €2.04

-25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$7.86 €6.85

-55.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$8.23 €7.18

-58.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.20 €1.05

-4.17%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.23 €1.95

-14.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.86 €2.49

-47.55%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.31 €2.88

20.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$7.86 €6.85

69.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$13.88 €12.10

-42.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$23.61 €20.58

-23.59%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.05 €1.79

-14.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.18 €1.90

-15.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$4.48 €3.91

-43.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.03 €0.89

78.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.77 €1.54

18.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$2.80 €2.44

-46.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.69 €1.48

-51.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$13.35 €11.64

-46.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$12.59 €10.98

-53.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$3.71 €3.24

-64.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$3.13 €2.73

-31.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$2.98 €2.59

-20.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$64.5 €56.2

-27.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$9.80 €8.54

-58.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.68 €1.47

-32.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$57.7 €50.3

-70.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.21 €1.92

4.52%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$38.1K €33.2K

-10.35%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$38.4K €33.4K

7.83%

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

$169 €147

$122 €107

37.73%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$26.72 €23.29

-27.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$21.98 €19.16

52.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$36.40 €31.73

34.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$19.76 €17.22

-1.67%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$17.57 €15.32

-45.53%

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

$696 €607

$360 €314

93.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$96.1 €83.8

9.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$47.10 €41.06

1.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$112 €97.9

-10.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$219 €191

-43.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$792 €690

109.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$690 €602

80.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$1,379 €1,202

114.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,068 €931

91.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$4,106 €3,579

90.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$2,025 €1,765

120.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$2,552 €2,225

-36.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

4.1

-7.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Oulu: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $792 in Oulu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oulu pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $93.0 in Oulu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $366 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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 Oulu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Oulu differ by about 17% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,956 including rent). Oulu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 56% lower in Oulu. 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $792 in Oulu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $360 in Oulu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 32% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,956 in Oulu versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Oulu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Oulu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

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

Expats usually find Oulu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.