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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,478 in Sala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,218 in Sala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,957 in Sala.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 54% more expensive than in Sala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Sala 11% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$12.53 SEK 119

25.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$63.7 SEK 605

-0.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$10.20 SEK 96.9

2.45%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$3.19 SEK 30.28

-8.78%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.86 SEK 17.70

23.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.39 SEK 22.67

-37.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$7.42 SEK 70.5

-52.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$7.24 SEK 68.8

-45.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.78 SEK 16.87

-39.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.69 SEK 25.53

-34.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$3.63 SEK 34.44

-53.17%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$3.86 SEK 36.68

-15.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$12.12 SEK 115

9.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$11.89 SEK 113

-35.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$15.97 SEK 152

-1.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$3.14 SEK 29.85

-27.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.57 SEK 24.45

-35.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.84 SEK 27.01

-28.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$5.13 SEK 48.74

-51.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.56 SEK 14.78

14.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.18 SEK 11.17

75.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$2.71 SEK 25.77

-27.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$1.02 SEK 9.71

-18.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$7.20 SEK 68.4

-9.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$6.24 SEK 59.3

-10.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$2.50 SEK 23.73

-46.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.92 SEK 18.28

56.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$3.25 SEK 30.83

-30.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$22.30 SEK 212

107.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$6.15 SEK 58.5

-31.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.58 SEK 15.05

-46.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$21.29 SEK 202

-11.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.97 SEK 18.69

2.54%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$41.4K SEK 393.5K

-15.60%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$34.5K SEK 328.1K

14.78%

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

$148 €128

$89.6 SEK 852

65.03%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$21.17 SEK 201

-3.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$36.99 SEK 351

6.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$48.67 SEK 462

-1.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$21.31 SEK 202

-13.70%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$18.75 SEK 178

-51.47%

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

$615 €532

$148 SEK 1,404

315.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$1,284 SEK 12.2K

1168.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$45.96 SEK 437

121.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$36.96 SEK 351

13.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$54.4 SEK 517

69.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$58.4 SEK 554

109.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$764 SEK 7,261

110.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$531 SEK 5,044

136.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$985 SEK 9,354

211.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$737 SEK 7,002

176.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$4,100 SEK 38.9K

89.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$3,033 SEK 28.8K

41.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$2,507 SEK 23.8K

-36.11%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Sala: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $764 in Sala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 57% 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 $64.0 in Sala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $345 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 54% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,478 including rent). Sala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 57% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $764 in Sala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $148 in Sala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 30% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,478 in Sala versus $2,280 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 54% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.