Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Sarpsborg

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,206 a month against $2,872 in Sarpsborg, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. The total is higher in Sarpsborg despite lower rent and utilities.

Lisbon, Portugal
Sarpsborg, Norway
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,206
/mo nomad
Sarpsborg
🇳🇴 Norway
$2,872
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Sarpsborg

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 Sarpsborg actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $2,872 in Sarpsborg.

  • Lisbon $2,206
  • Sarpsborg $2,872

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $4,169 in Sarpsborg.

  • Lisbon $3,276
  • Sarpsborg $4,169

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $5,466 in Sarpsborg.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Sarpsborg $5,466

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 23% less than in Sarpsborg, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 63% above, Sarpsborg 112% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Sarpsborg
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86 €15.02
$40.81 NOK 379
-58.69%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0 €54.4
$99.3 NOK 921
-38.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.98 €9.78
$19.17 NOK 178
-42.72%
Cappuccino
$3.05 €2.72
$5.74 NOK 53.3
-46.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.88 NOK 26.75
-20.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68 €1.50
$2.67 NOK 24.77
-37.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.44 €3.06
$6.60 NOK 61.2
-47.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91 €3.48
$8.19 NOK 76.0
-52.26%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Sarpsborg
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.15 €1.02
$2.32 NOK 21.49
-50.43%
White Bread (500g)
$1.89 €1.68
$3.49 NOK 32.42
-45.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.50 €1.34
$4.01 NOK 37.22
-62.59%
Eggs
$4.12 €3.67
$4.56 NOK 42.30
-9.65%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.01 €11.59
$12.54 NOK 116
3.75%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 €7.17
$17.04 NOK 158
-52.82%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.89 €15.94
$34.26 NOK 318
-47.78%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$3.85 NOK 35.74
-41.04%
Banana (1kg)
$1.74 €1.55
$2.67 NOK 24.81
-34.83%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.82 €1.62
$3.49 NOK 32.43
-47.85%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.69 €2.39
$6.04 NOK 56.1
-55.46%
Potato (1kg)
$1.77 €1.57
$2.84 NOK 26.39
-37.68%
Onion (1kg)
$1.94 €1.73
$3.18 NOK 29.50
-38.99%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 €1.30
$2.65 NOK 24.61
-44.91%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76 €0.68
$2.59 NOK 24.00
-70.66%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66 €5.93
$15.56 NOK 144
-57.20%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.64 €5.02
$13.73 NOK 127
-58.92%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29 €1.15
$3.34 NOK 30.97
-61.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$4.71 NOK 43.69
-54.56%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Sarpsborg
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.30 €2.05
$2.62 NOK 24.36
-12.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.02 €39.21
$87.2 NOK 809
-49.53%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.98 €3.55
$12.01 NOK 111
-66.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.64 €0.57
$1.97 NOK 18.26
-67.51%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.93 €16.86
$63.8 NOK 592
-70.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$2.27 NOK 21.08
0.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K €29.7K
$55.3K NOK 513.5K
-39.68%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K €34.3K
$47.2K NOK 437.7K
-18.35%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Sarpsborg
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 €141
$238 NOK 2,207
-33.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54 €15.62
$36.62 NOK 340
-52.10%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18 €27.78
$47.03 NOK 436
-33.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Sarpsborg
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.64 €39.77
$50.1 NOK 465
-10.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98 €16.91
$38.46 NOK 357
-50.65%
Cinema Ticket
$9.58 €8.53
$19.49 NOK 181
-50.85%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Sarpsborg
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$674 €600
$239 NOK 2,217
181.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K €16.7K
$11.6K NOK 107.7K
61.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Sarpsborg
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.0
$111 NOK 1,034
-8.26%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90 €40.89
$66.9 NOK 621
-31.36%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$102 €91.0
$125 NOK 1,158
-18.08%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122 €109
$180 NOK 1,670
-32.24%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Sarpsborg
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,641 €1,461
$1,224 NOK 11.4K
34.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,187 €1,058
$1,093 NOK 10.1K
8.67%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,825 €2,516
$1,606 NOK 14.9K
75.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,018 €1,798
$1,399 NOK 13.0K
44.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,836 €6,980
$6,415 NOK 59.5K
22.15%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,701 €4,188
$4,241 NOK 39.4K
10.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Sarpsborg
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,687 €1,503
$2,714 NOK 25.2K
-37.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.82
5.18
-26.25%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Sarpsborg: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Sarpsborg
$1.1K 8% $95
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275
Sarpsborg
$508 84.9% $233
Eating Out
Lisbon
$245
Sarpsborg
$524 114% $279
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207
Sarpsborg
$321 55.4% $115
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Sarpsborg
$217 29.8% $50
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Sarpsborg
$89 39.6% $25
Getting Around
Lisbon
$60
Sarpsborg
$120 97.9% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $1,224 in Sarpsborg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sarpsborg pays 61% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $99 in Sarpsborg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $508 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇳🇴 Sarpsborg
🕒 Local time
19:23 7:23 PM
20:23 8:23 PM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
59,906
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

NOK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 0.891 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of November 5, 2026: 1 USD = 9.28 NOK (1 NOK = 0.108 USD). 1 EUR = 10.42 NOK (100 NOK = 9.6 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Sarpsborg 2,700 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Sarpsborg

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 Sarpsborg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Sarpsborg?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $2,872 in Sarpsborg, so Lisbon is about 23% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 38% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Sarpsborg?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $1,224 in Sarpsborg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Sarpsborg?
Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $239 in Sarpsborg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 85% higher in Sarpsborg. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Sarpsborg?
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.
Is Lisbon or Sarpsborg safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Sarpsborg are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
How do I decide between Lisbon and Sarpsborg?
It comes down to priorities – Lisbon wins on affordability, Sarpsborg on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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