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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $2,551 in Sandnes.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $3,980 in Sandnes.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $5,409 in Sandnes.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 11% less than in Sandnes, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Sandnes 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$28.27 NOK 268

-43.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$121 NOK 1,153

-47.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$13.57 NOK 129

-23.51%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$5.02 NOK 47.61

-44.42%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$3.46 NOK 32.88

-32.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.85 NOK 27.02

-44.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$10.03 NOK 95.2

-65.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$10.26 NOK 97.4

-61.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$2.18 NOK 20.65

-50.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$3.40 NOK 32.31

-47.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$3.20 NOK 30.36

-46.56%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$4.16 NOK 39.48

-24.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$12.62 NOK 120

8.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$13.92 NOK 132

-42.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$36.25 NOK 344

-57.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$3.55 NOK 33.70

-35.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.50 NOK 23.72

-34.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$2.96 NOK 28.14

-34.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$4.81 NOK 45.69

-47.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$2.18 NOK 20.69

-17.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.17 NOK 20.60

-7.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.72 NOK 25.83

-27.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.92 NOK 18.26

-56.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$14.91 NOK 142

-54.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$16.95 NOK 161

-66.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$3.29 NOK 31.24

-57.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$3.99 NOK 37.85

-24.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$4.04 NOK 38.36

-43.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$72.0 NOK 683

-36.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$15.21 NOK 144

-71.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$2.07 NOK 19.69

-58.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$46.16 NOK 438

-60.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$2.12 NOK 20.15

-6.13%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$34.4K NOK 326.1K

1.97%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$33.0K NOK 313.5K

19.75%

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

$146 €126

$220 NOK 2,085

-33.45%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$43.46 NOK 412

-52.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$80.2 NOK 761

-51.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$49.74 NOK 472

-1.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$49.92 NOK 474

-62.28%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$18.49 NOK 176

-48.51%

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

$608 €524

$314 NOK 2,978

93.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$9,283 NOK 88.1K

77.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$119 NOK 1,129

-12.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$59.0 NOK 560

-28.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$105 NOK 996

-12.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$158 NOK 1,502

-24.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$1,235 NOK 11.7K

31.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$861 NOK 8,172

47.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$1,658 NOK 15.7K

83.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$1,462 NOK 13.9K

37.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$7,089 NOK 67.3K

8.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$4,048 NOK 38.4K

6.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$3,655 NOK 34.7K

-56.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.4

-13.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Sandnes: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $1,235 in Sandnes. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandnes pays 131% 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 $121 in Sandnes for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $473 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 13% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $2,551 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Sandnes earns 131% 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 $1,235 in Sandnes. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $314 in Sandnes. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 76% higher in Sandnes. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,263 in Lisbon versus $2,551 in Sandnes, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Sandnes. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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 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 13% less than in Sandnes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.