Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Skovde

For one person, living is cheaper in Skovde: $1,761 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Lisbon, Portugal
Skovde, Sweden
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Skovde
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,761
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Skovde

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,761 in Skovde.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Skovde $1,761

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,768 in Skovde.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Skovde $2,768

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,776 in Skovde.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Skovde $3,776

Living in Lisbon is roughly 25% more expensive than in Skovde.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Skovde 29% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Skovde
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$13.25 SEK 130
25.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$81.4 SEK 799
-24.17%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$10.21 SEK 100
11.26%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$4.19 SEK 41.10
-29.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$3.02 SEK 29.63
-24.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$2.39 SEK 23.49
-27.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$8.08 SEK 79.4
-57.92%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
$9.93 SEK 97.5
-66.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Skovde
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$1.43 SEK 14.02
-18.88%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$2.85 SEK 27.99
-32.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$4.56 SEK 44.73
-66.89%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$3.68 SEK 36.10
9.24%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$9.99 SEK 98.1
29.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$13.20 SEK 130
-41.14%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$18.04 SEK 177
-1.55%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$4.15 SEK 40.73
-44.58%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$2.76 SEK 27.12
-37.32%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$3.50 SEK 34.41
-46.86%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$5.17 SEK 50.8
-49.90%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$1.54 SEK 15.11
18.18%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.69 SEK 16.56
16.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$2.57 SEK 25.25
-42.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.32 SEK 12.99
-45.45%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$8.10 SEK 79.6
-18.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$7.81 SEK 76.7
-28.17%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$2.51 SEK 24.67
-45.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.56 SEK 25.17
-16.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Skovde
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$3.71 SEK 36.39
-37.20%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
$83.8 SEK 823
-46.68%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$5.27 SEK 51.7
-26.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$1.29 SEK 12.71
-17.05%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$60.6 SEK 595
-72.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$1.79 SEK 17.55
22.91%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$33.7K SEK 330.8K
1.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$33.7K SEK 331.2K
14.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Skovde
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$111 SEK 1,092
45.00%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$10.90 SEK 107
68.90%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$48.39 SEK 475
-32.34%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Skovde
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$36.63 SEK 360
21.62%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
$29.70 SEK 292
-35.69%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$17.99 SEK 177
-46.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Skovde
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$126 SEK 1,234
431.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$4,824 SEK 47.4K
265.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Skovde
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$104 SEK 1,019
-1.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$29.95 SEK 294
48.45%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$59.9 SEK 588
64.51%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$200 SEK 1,960
-38.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Skovde
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$803 SEK 7,880
100.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$592 SEK 5,813
101.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$1,359 SEK 13.3K
106.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$1,003 SEK 9,853
100.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$4,027 SEK 39.5K
94.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$2,847 SEK 28.0K
60.72%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Skovde
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$3,253 SEK 31.9K
-51.58%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
3
28.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Skovde: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Skovde
$592 50.3% $598
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Skovde
$370 36% $98
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Skovde
$269 10.8% $26
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Skovde
$170 19.7% $42
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Skovde
$177 6.6% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Skovde
$73 13.9% $8.9
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Skovde
$110 74.6% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $803 in Skovde. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skovde pays about 2.1 times 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 $81 in Skovde for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $370 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇸🇪 Skovde
🕒 Local time
10:38 10:38 AM
11:38 11:38 AM
1 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
34,466
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

SEK, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 9.82 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Skovde 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Skovde

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 Skovde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 52% 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 Skovde?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $803 in Skovde. 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 Skovde?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $126 in Skovde. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 26% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $1,761 in Skovde versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Skovde but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Skovde the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Skovde?
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 Skovde safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Skovde are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Lisbon vs other spots: cost of living compared

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