Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Salo

For one person, living is cheaper in Salo: $1,062 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Salo
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Salo Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Salo

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,062

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Salo

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Salo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,062 in Salo.

Lisbon $2,210
Salo $1,062

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $1,823 in Salo.

Lisbon $3,275
Salo $1,823

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $2,583 in Salo.

Lisbon $4,341
Salo $2,583

Living in Lisbon is roughly 108% more expensive than in Salo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Salo is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$15.76 €14.12

5.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$89.9 €80.6

-31.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$11.95 €10.71

-4.94%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$5.29 €4.74

-43.86%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$2.96 €2.66

-22.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.95 €1.75

-10.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

$3.89 €3.49

-12.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$8.90 €7.97

-62.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.08 €0.96

7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$2.73 €2.45

-30.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$2.39 €2.14

-36.82%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$3.21 €2.88

25.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$8.73 €7.82

48.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$14.29 €12.81

-45.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$21.38 €19.16

-16.93%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$2.34 €2.10

-1.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$2.09 €1.87

-17.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$2.54 €2.28

-26.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$3.83 €3.43

-32.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.26 €1.13

44.44%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$1.86 €1.67

5.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.92 €2.62

-49.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$2.00 €1.79

-64.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$11.43 €10.25

-42.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

$16.06 €14.40

-65.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$3.11 €2.79

-56.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$3.37 €3.02

-36.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$4.32 €3.87

-10.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.34 €1.21

-20.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$65.6 €58.8

-74.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$2.15 €1.93

2.33%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$36.1K €32.3K

-5.27%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$37.0K €33.2K

4.58%

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

$161 €144

$130 €117

23.98%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$24.43 €21.89

-24.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$24.07 €21.57

36.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$21.34 €19.12

-10.50%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$17.75 €15.91

-45.92%

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

$668 €598

$326 €292

104.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$96.6 €86.6

5.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$48.43 €43.40

-8.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$101 €90.7

-2.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$156 €140

-20.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$836 €749

236.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$1,346 €1,206

239.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$2,575 €2,308

-38.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.51

9.69%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Salo: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Salo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Salo

$373 35.2% 37.1% $101

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Salo

$282 26.6% 16.4% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Salo

$179 16.8% 15.9% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Salo

$181 17.1% 9.1% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Salo

$36 * 3.3% 44.3% $28

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Salo

$11 * 1% 82.5% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Salo pays 63% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $90 in Salo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $373 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇫🇮 Salo

🕒 Local time

01:54 1:54 AM

03:54 3:54 AM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

51,097

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

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Between locations

Lisbon Salo 3,290 km ≈ 4 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Salo

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Salo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $1,062 in Salo, so Salo is about 52% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 39% lower in Lisbon. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 27% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,062 in Salo – Salo is about 52% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

At $1,062 in Salo versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Salo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Salo 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 Salo are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.