Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sala Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,619 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $2,351 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $3,083 in Sala.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 42% more expensive than in Sala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Sala 18% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$12.46 SEK 123

41.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$61.7 SEK 608

1.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$10.06 SEK 99.2

15.11%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$3.30 SEK 32.50

-6.06%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.87 SEK 18.44

33.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$2.33 SEK 23.01

-25.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$7.12 SEK 70.2

-51.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$7.32 SEK 72.2

-53.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.81 SEK 17.88

-36.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.62 SEK 25.85

-27.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$3.64 SEK 35.85

-58.79%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$5.00 SEK 49.28

-20.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$11.89 SEK 117

11.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$13.80 SEK 136

-41.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$22.79 SEK 225

-20.84%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.08 SEK 30.39

-23.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.68 SEK 26.39

-34.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.72 SEK 26.85

-31.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$4.92 SEK 48.51

-48.17%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.54 SEK 15.16

19.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.22 SEK 12.06

72.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$2.72 SEK 26.82

-45.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.02 SEK 10.05

-19.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$7.33 SEK 72.2

-3.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$6.30 SEK 62.1

-6.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$2.01 SEK 19.80

-34.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.93 SEK 19.00

10.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$3.11 SEK 30.65

-24.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$21.82 SEK 215

113.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$6.03 SEK 59.4

-32.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.84 SEK 18.17

-38.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$83.3 SEK 820

-79.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.76 SEK 17.31

31.25%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$34.5K SEK 339.8K

-1.02%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$34.3K SEK 337.7K

20.75%

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

$169 €147

$186 SEK 1,835

-9.50%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$21.01 SEK 207

-8.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$39.07 SEK 385

-14.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$47.16 SEK 465

3.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$20.57 SEK 203

-5.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$16.44 SEK 162

-41.79%

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

$696 €607

$164 SEK 1,618

323.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$1,266 SEK 12.5K

1270.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$45.96 SEK 453

129.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$36.55 SEK 360

30.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$55.3 SEK 544

81.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$57.8 SEK 570

115.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$757 SEK 7,464

119.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$536 SEK 5,285

132.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$967 SEK 9,533

206.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$714 SEK 7,040

186.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$4,196 SEK 41.3K

86.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$2,926 SEK 28.8K

52.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$2,489 SEK 24.5K

-34.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

3.2

18.12%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sala: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $757 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 53% 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 $62.0 in Sala. Groceries flip the comparison at $277 vs $376, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Sala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sala differ by about 42% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,619 including rent). Sala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 53% lower in Sala. 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 $757 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $164 in Sala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 36% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,619 in Sala versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sala but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sala 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 Sala 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 Sala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.