Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sandnes Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sandnes

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $2,766 in Sandnes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $4,267 in Sandnes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $5,769 in Sandnes.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 17% less than in Sandnes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Sandnes 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$25.62 NOK 241

-31.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$100 NOK 946

-37.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$15.76 NOK 148

-26.52%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$5.79 NOK 54.5

-46.46%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$3.41 NOK 32.13

-26.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$2.96 NOK 27.92

-41.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$14.03 NOK 132

-75.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$12.26 NOK 116

-71.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.40 NOK 22.60

-52.08%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$3.52 NOK 33.17

-45.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.55 NOK 24.06

-41.18%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$4.86 NOK 45.78

-18.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$13.36 NOK 126

-0.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$15.96 NOK 150

-49.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$32.10 NOK 302

-43.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$3.64 NOK 34.25

-35.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$2.76 NOK 26.04

-36.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$3.24 NOK 30.48

-42.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$5.04 NOK 47.54

-49.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.54 NOK 23.95

-27.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$2.38 NOK 22.45

-11.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$2.92 NOK 27.51

-48.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$2.39 NOK 22.49

-65.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$16.65 NOK 157

-57.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$17.02 NOK 160

-65.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$3.28 NOK 30.88

-60.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$4.32 NOK 40.67

-50.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$4.72 NOK 44.45

-50.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$86.7 NOK 817

-46.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$6.39 NOK 60.2

-36.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$1.81 NOK 17.03

-37.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$49.65 NOK 468

-65.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.28 NOK 21.46

1.32%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$44.3K NOK 417.0K

-22.88%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$39.6K NOK 373.5K

4.37%

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

$169 €147

$252 NOK 2,372

-33.05%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$35.79 NOK 337

-45.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$84.3 NOK 795

-60.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$46.88 NOK 442

4.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$53.1 NOK 500

-63.42%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$19.26 NOK 182

-50.31%

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

$696 €607

$297 NOK 2,798

134.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$9,766 NOK 92.0K

77.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$127 NOK 1,192

-16.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$62.1 NOK 585

-23.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$122 NOK 1,154

-17.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$194 NOK 1,826

-35.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$1,375 NOK 13.0K

20.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$995 NOK 9,373

25.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$2,011 NOK 19.0K

47.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,841 NOK 17.3K

11.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$6,992 NOK 65.9K

12.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$4,075 NOK 38.4K

9.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$3,787 NOK 35.7K

-56.92%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.22

-27.59%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Sandnes: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,375 in Sandnes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandnes pays 132% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $100 in Sandnes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $490 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 Sandnes: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Sandnes differ by about 20% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $2,766 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 132% lower in Sandnes. 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 $1,375 in Sandnes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $297 in Sandnes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 77% higher in Sandnes. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Sandnes 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Sandnes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.