Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Varberg Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Varberg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,671 in Varberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,673 in Varberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,675 in Varberg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 36% more expensive than in Varberg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Varberg 21% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$15.62 SEK 151

12.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$79.9 SEK 774

-19.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$10.59 SEK 103

10.01%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$3.90 SEK 37.85

-16.41%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.23 SEK 11.90

102.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.12 SEK 10.81

49.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$6.35 SEK 61.6

-45.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$7.90 SEK 76.6

-54.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.55 SEK 15.04

-23.87%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$3.07 SEK 29.80

-36.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$3.52 SEK 34.15

-55.68%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$4.33 SEK 41.99

-7.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$13.25 SEK 128

0.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$11.64 SEK 113

-27.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$20.42 SEK 198

-10.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$3.19 SEK 30.94

-27.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.60 SEK 25.19

-33.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$3.15 SEK 30.58

-38.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$4.37 SEK 42.33

-39.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.55 SEK 15.02

22.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.62 SEK 15.66

30.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$2.65 SEK 25.72

-45.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.02 SEK 9.91

-21.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$7.11 SEK 68.9

-1.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$10.47 SEK 102

-43.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$2.10 SEK 20.35

-35.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.27 SEK 12.29

69.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.97 SEK 28.81

-19.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$81.6 SEK 791

-43.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$5.31 SEK 51.5

-21.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.53 SEK 24.50

-56.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$51.5 SEK 499

-66.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.81 SEK 17.53

24.31%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$34.3K SEK 332.8K

0.41%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$35.2K SEK 340.8K

18.37%

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

$171 €147

$146 SEK 1,411

17.38%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$20.72 SEK 201

-8.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$30.78 SEK 298

11.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$41.70 SEK 404

19.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$41.46 SEK 402

-52.94%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$16.46 SEK 160

-38.64%

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

$699 €603

$159 SEK 1,544

338.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$3,590 SEK 34.8K

394.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$74.0 SEK 718

41.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$41.00 SEK 397

17.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$113 SEK 1,093

-9.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$159 SEK 1,544

-19.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$844 SEK 8,185

96.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$529 SEK 5,130

132.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$1,244 SEK 12.1K

134.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$950 SEK 9,211

112.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$6,747 SEK 65.4K

20.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$3,577 SEK 34.7K

29.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$3,274 SEK 31.7K

-50.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

1.9

98.95%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Varberg: September 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $844 in Varberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varberg pays 102% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $80.0 in Varberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $368 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 Varberg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Varberg differ by about 36% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,671 including rent). Varberg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 102% lower in Varberg. 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $844 in Varberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $159 in Varberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 31% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,671 in Varberg versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varberg but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Varberg 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 Varberg 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 Varberg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 36% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.