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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,491 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,247 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $3,003 in Sala.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 52% more expensive than Sala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Sala 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$12.55 SEK 118

27.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$62.9 SEK 590

0.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$10.48 SEK 98.4

-0.95%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$3.20 SEK 29.99

-12.81%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.81 SEK 17.00

29.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.40 SEK 22.50

-34.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$7.53 SEK 70.6

-54.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$7.57 SEK 71.0

-48.35%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.84 SEK 17.26

-41.30%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.69 SEK 25.26

-34.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$3.74 SEK 35.07

-54.28%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$4.04 SEK 37.93

-22.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$11.78 SEK 111

16.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$11.64 SEK 109

-31.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$15.84 SEK 149

-2.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$3.15 SEK 29.59

-27.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.70 SEK 25.35

-39.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.82 SEK 26.43

-31.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$5.04 SEK 47.26

-50.20%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.55 SEK 14.57

15.48%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.19 SEK 11.15

68.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.71 SEK 25.46

-27.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.04 SEK 9.73

-19.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$7.54 SEK 70.7

-9.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$6.41 SEK 60.2

-11.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$2.50 SEK 23.45

-44.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.93 SEK 18.14

56.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$3.15 SEK 29.51

-27.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$21.82 SEK 205

108.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$6.30 SEK 59.1

-31.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.58 SEK 14.84

-46.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$20.87 SEK 196

-12.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.00 SEK 18.78

-0.50%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$42.2K SEK 395.7K

-16.95%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$34.2K SEK 321.0K

15.55%

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

$146 €126

$88.8 SEK 833

64.65%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$20.84 SEK 196

-1.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$37.20 SEK 349

4.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$47.92 SEK 450

2.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$20.95 SEK 197

-10.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$19.22 SEK 180

-50.47%

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

$608 €524

$146 SEK 1,373

315.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$1,254 SEK 11.8K

1216.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$46.54 SEK 437

123.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$37.23 SEK 349

13.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$54.8 SEK 514

68.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$57.4 SEK 538

109.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$774 SEK 7,256

109.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$545 SEK 5,113

132.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$965 SEK 9,049

215.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$726 SEK 6,811

176.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$4,001 SEK 37.5K

91.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$3,328 SEK 31.2K

30.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$2,569 SEK 24.1K

-38.31%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Sala: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $774 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 62% 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 $63.0 in Sala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $346 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 Sala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sala differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,491 including rent). Sala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sala earns 62% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $774 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $146 in Sala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,491 in Sala versus $2,263 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 52% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.