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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,804 in Varberg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $2,844 in Varberg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $3,885 in Varberg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 22% more expensive than in Varberg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 65% above, Varberg 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.81

$13.56 SEK 132

15.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.3

$82.8 SEK 805

-24.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.26

$10.03 SEK 97.4

4.99%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.54

$4.14 SEK 40.23

-30.43%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$0.97 SEK 9.46

131.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$0.98 SEK 9.50

59.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.98

$8.07 SEK 78.3

-57.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.43

$7.78 SEK 75.5

-49.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$1.57 SEK 15.26

-31.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$3.05 SEK 29.58

-43.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.55

$3.53 SEK 34.26

-50.14%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.78

$4.33 SEK 42.06

-27.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.68

$12.21 SEK 119

8.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.92

$11.81 SEK 115

-33.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.92

$21.19 SEK 206

-25.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$3.32 SEK 32.21

-27.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.50

$2.93 SEK 28.43

-41.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$3.28 SEK 31.82

-38.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$4.74 SEK 46.05

-46.84%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$1.62 SEK 15.74

14.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$1.95 SEK 18.95

5.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$2.61 SEK 25.34

-23.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.69

$1.15 SEK 11.16

-32.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.84

$7.01 SEK 68.1

-5.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.08

$10.37 SEK 101

-44.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.22

$2.07 SEK 20.11

-33.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$1.25 SEK 12.17

141.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.05

$2.82 SEK 27.38

-17.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.96

$73.0 SEK 709

-37.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$5.12 SEK 49.68

-20.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$2.55 SEK 24.73

-68.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.39

$55.8 SEK 542

-66.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.93 SEK 18.78

3.63%

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

$35.4K €31.1K

$32.9K SEK 319.2K

7.66%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$33.7K SEK 327.0K

16.04%

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

$150 €132

$157 SEK 1,529

-4.63%

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

$20.55 €18.07

$20.83 SEK 202

-1.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.68

$32.21 SEK 313

22.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.25

$40.62 SEK 395

18.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.44

$25.23 SEK 245

-25.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.18

$16.86 SEK 164

-44.84%

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

$628 €552

$161 SEK 1,564

289.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.5K

$4,058 SEK 39.4K

305.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.3

$88.2 SEK 856

15.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.52

$41.66 SEK 405

-0.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.3

$101 SEK 978

-8.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$157 SEK 1,521

-21.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,431

$836 SEK 8,120

94.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,084

$645 SEK 6,267

91.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,748

$1,380 SEK 13.4K

126.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,809

$1,103 SEK 10.7K

86.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,824

$6,638 SEK 64.5K

16.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,856

$3,652 SEK 35.5K

20.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,425

$3,197 SEK 31.0K

-49.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

1.9

100.53%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 21, 2026

Last update for Varberg: July 19, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $836 in Varberg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varberg pays 97% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $83.0 in Varberg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $374 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 22% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,804 including rent). Varberg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 97% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $836 in Varberg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 in Lisbon versus $161 in Varberg. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 39% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,804 in Varberg versus $2,210 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 22% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.