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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,463 in Roskilde.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,950 in Roskilde.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $5,436 in Roskilde.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 10% less than in Roskilde, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Roskilde 84% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$18.44 DKK 119

-13.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$117 DKK 752

-44.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$13.88 DKK 89.3

-24.28%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$6.81 DKK 43.77

-57.86%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$4.69 DKK 30.15

-52.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$3.07 DKK 19.76

-51.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$9.20 DKK 59.2

-62.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$7.59 DKK 48.80

-48.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.96 DKK 12.61

-41.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$3.26 DKK 20.97

-46.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.43 DKK 15.63

-27.57%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$4.89 DKK 31.41

-34.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$13.52 DKK 86.9

-0.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$10.90 DKK 70.1

-27.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$16.11 DKK 104

-1.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.78 DKK 17.90

-16.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.93 DKK 18.85

-41.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.11 DKK 13.56

-4.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$4.09 DKK 26.31

-39.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.82 DKK 11.71

1.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.54 DKK 9.91

29.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.63 DKK 10.46

18.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.75 DKK 4.83

5.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$8.74 DKK 56.2

-24.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$7.72 DKK 49.65

-25.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.96 DKK 12.61

-30.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.16 DKK 13.86

37.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$3.79 DKK 24.35

-37.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$78.0 DKK 501

-41.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$6.34 DKK 40.77

-32.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.38 DKK 8.87

-40.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$60.5 DKK 389

-69.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.11 DKK 13.56

-2.37%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$49.2K DKK 316.4K

-30.35%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$47.8K DKK 307.6K

-17.88%

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

$148 €127

$205 DKK 1,317

-27.82%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$20.15 DKK 130

1.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$40.16 DKK 258

-1.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$53.9 DKK 347

-11.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$30.15 DKK 194

-37.25%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$16.99 DKK 109

-45.97%

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

$614 €528

$395 DKK 2,541

55.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$5,857 DKK 37.7K

174.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$105 DKK 673

0.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$36.35 DKK 234

15.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$121 DKK 775

-22.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$201 DKK 1,293

-40.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$1,324 DKK 8,514

22.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$1,144 DKK 7,354

9.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$2,634 DKK 16.9K

15.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$2,103 DKK 13.5K

-3.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$6,977 DKK 44.9K

11.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$6,208 DKK 39.9K

-31.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$4,306 DKK 27.7K

-62.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.93

-3.05%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Roskilde: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $1,324 in Roskilde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roskilde pays 169% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $117 in Roskilde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $339 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 11% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,463 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Roskilde earns 169% less. 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $1,324 in Roskilde. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $395 in Roskilde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Roskilde. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 11% less than in Roskilde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.