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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,496 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,234 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,973 in Sala.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 49% more expensive than Sala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Sala 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$12.80 SEK 119

26.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$63.5 SEK 591

1.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$10.15 SEK 94.4

2.27%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$3.18 SEK 29.55

-12.89%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.83 SEK 17.05

22.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.47 SEK 22.99

-36.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$7.29 SEK 67.8

-52.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$7.56 SEK 70.4

-47.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.83 SEK 17.06

-40.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.65 SEK 24.65

-34.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$3.68 SEK 34.23

-52.72%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$4.07 SEK 37.86

-21.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$11.73 SEK 109

14.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$11.91 SEK 111

-32.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$15.92 SEK 148

1.07%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$3.02 SEK 28.10

-24.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.70 SEK 25.11

-36.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$2.72 SEK 25.33

-28.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$5.14 SEK 47.78

-50.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.52 SEK 14.13

20.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.20 SEK 11.13

70.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$2.72 SEK 25.32

-27.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.07 SEK 9.91

-20.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$7.55 SEK 70.3

-9.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$6.47 SEK 60.2

-10.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.48 SEK 23.03

-44.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.88 SEK 17.52

54.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$3.22 SEK 29.90

-29.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$21.91 SEK 204

113.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$6.25 SEK 58.2

-34.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.66 SEK 15.44

-50.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$21.07 SEK 196

-13.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.98 SEK 18.40

1.52%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$42.7K SEK 396.7K

-17.32%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$34.4K SEK 319.7K

11.98%

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

$145 €124

$88.1 SEK 819

65.10%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$21.33 SEK 198

-1.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$37.05 SEK 345

8.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$48.76 SEK 453

0.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$21.11 SEK 196

-11.46%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$19.10 SEK 178

-52.57%

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

$607 €519

$147 SEK 1,367

312.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$1,286 SEK 12.0K

1169.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$47.81 SEK 445

118.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$36.57 SEK 340

11.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$55.6 SEK 517

68.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$58.8 SEK 547

101.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$755 SEK 7,022

112.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$534 SEK 4,965

131.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$984 SEK 9,154

209.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$720 SEK 6,697

185.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$4,275 SEK 39.8K

80.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$3,074 SEK 28.6K

38.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$2,601 SEK 24.2K

-39.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.53

-15.89%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Sala: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $755 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $63.0 in Sala. Groceries flip the comparison at $271 vs $346, 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 49% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,496 including rent). Sala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sala earns 64% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $755 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $147 in Sala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,496 in Sala versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 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 49% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.