Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Roskilde Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Roskilde

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,587 in Roskilde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $4,039 in Roskilde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $5,491 in Roskilde.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 11% less than in Roskilde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Roskilde 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$18.68 DKK 122

-5.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$116 DKK 756

-45.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$15.42 DKK 100

-24.90%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$7.41 DKK 48.32

-58.16%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$4.23 DKK 27.54

-41.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$3.51 DKK 22.85

-50.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$8.38 DKK 54.6

-58.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$8.69 DKK 56.7

-60.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.11 DKK 13.75

-45.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$3.92 DKK 25.53

-51.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.44 DKK 15.93

-38.52%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$5.04 DKK 32.84

-21.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$14.97 DKK 97.6

-11.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$11.95 DKK 77.9

-32.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$19.03 DKK 124

-5.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.77 DKK 18.03

-15.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.82 DKK 18.41

-37.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.17 DKK 14.12

-14.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$4.24 DKK 27.64

-39.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.77 DKK 11.53

3.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.50 DKK 9.76

40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.48 DKK 9.68

0.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.69 DKK 4.51

18.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$9.06 DKK 59.0

-21.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$7.83 DKK 51.1

-24.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.06 DKK 13.40

-36.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.72 DKK 17.73

-21.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$78.6 DKK 512

-40.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$6.02 DKK 39.22

-32.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.80 DKK 11.71

-36.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$64.7 DKK 422

-73.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.34 DKK 15.23

-1.28%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$50.8K DKK 330.9K

-32.77%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$55.6K DKK 362.7K

-25.64%

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

$169 €147

$224 DKK 1,462

-24.86%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$16.26 DKK 106

18.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$44.77 DKK 292

-25.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$61.4 DKK 400

-20.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$16.71 DKK 109

-42.73%

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

$696 €607

$384 DKK 2,503

81.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$6,095 DKK 39.7K

184.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$110 DKK 717

-4.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$48.82 DKK 318

-2.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$159 DKK 1,039

-36.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$196 DKK 1,275

-36.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$1,350 DKK 8,800

23.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$1,164 DKK 7,584

7.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$2,651 DKK 17.3K

11.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$2,127 DKK 13.9K

-3.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$6,891 DKK 44.9K

13.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$6,345 DKK 41.4K

-29.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$4,320 DKK 28.2K

-62.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.67

3.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Roskilde: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,350 in Roskilde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roskilde pays 165% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $116 in Roskilde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $367 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 Roskilde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Roskilde differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $2,587 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 165% lower in Roskilde. 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 $1,350 in Roskilde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $384 in Roskilde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 32% higher in Roskilde. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,587 in Roskilde, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Roskilde. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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 Roskilde 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Roskilde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.