Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Skien Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Skien

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,282 in Skien.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $3,202 in Skien.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $4,122 in Skien.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 3% less than in Skien, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Skien 70% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$28.96 NOK 269

-45.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$101 NOK 935

-35.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$13.26 NOK 123

-20.74%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$4.88 NOK 45.35

-41.19%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$2.47 NOK 22.94

-9.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$2.19 NOK 20.38

-31.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$9.05 NOK 84.0

-61.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$9.67 NOK 89.8

-59.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.02 NOK 18.73

-43.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$3.30 NOK 30.67

-46.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$3.15 NOK 29.30

-44.13%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$4.20 NOK 39.01

-23.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.36 NOK 106

18.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$14.22 NOK 132

-44.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$25.44 NOK 236

-37.62%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.76 NOK 34.89

-38.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.32 NOK 21.55

-26.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$3.30 NOK 30.63

-39.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$4.02 NOK 37.36

-38.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.29 NOK 21.26

-19.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$2.16 NOK 20.07

-7.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.94 NOK 27.36

-34.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.89 NOK 17.55

-58.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$18.86 NOK 175

-64.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$15.87 NOK 147

-63.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$3.33 NOK 30.97

-58.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$3.95 NOK 36.67

-24.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.69 NOK 25.02

-11.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$44.33 NOK 412

2.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$36.08 NOK 335

-88.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.46 NOK 13.57

-43.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$99.7 NOK 926

-81.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$2.09 NOK 19.41

-1.44%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$25.7K NOK 238.9K

33.28%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$35.8K NOK 332.2K

9.87%

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

$148 €127

$96.6 NOK 897

53.06%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$37.34 NOK 347

-45.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$38.51 NOK 358

2.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$38.00 NOK 353

25.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$34.76 NOK 323

-45.57%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$14.39 NOK 134

-36.21%

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

$614 €528

$312 NOK 2,900

96.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$10.1K NOK 93.9K

58.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$40.85 NOK 380

156.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$35.21 NOK 327

19.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$92.8 NOK 862

1.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$153 NOK 1,421

-21.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$961 NOK 8,931

69.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$1,000 NOK 9,291

25.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$1,101 NOK 10.2K

175.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$902 NOK 8,381

123.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$3,561 NOK 33.1K

119.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$3,271 NOK 30.4K

30.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$4,269 NOK 39.7K

-62.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.8

0.26%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Skien: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $961 in Skien. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skien pays 166% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $101 in Skien for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $432 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 Skien: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Skien differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $2,282 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Skien earns 166% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $961 in Skien. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $312 in Skien. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Skien. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,282 in Skien, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Skien. 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 Skien 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 3% less than in Skien. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.