Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Varkaus

For one person, living is cheaper in Varkaus: $1,951 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
92

Cost of Living Index in Varkaus
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Varkaus Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Varkaus

🇫🇮 Finland

$1,951

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Varkaus

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,951 in Varkaus.

Lisbon $2,210
Varkaus $1,951

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $2,965 in Varkaus.

Lisbon $3,275
Varkaus $2,965

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $3,979 in Varkaus.

Lisbon $4,341
Varkaus $3,979

Living in Lisbon is roughly 13% more expensive than in Varkaus.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Varkaus 43% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$15.91 €14.29

4.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$99.4 €89.3

-37.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$12.36 €11.10

-8.09%

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$5.48 €4.92

-45.80%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$3.52 €3.17

-34.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$2.83 €2.54

-38.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

$9.10 €8.17

-62.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

$8.60 €7.73

-61.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$1.44 €1.30

-19.44%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$2.94 €2.64

-35.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$3.57 €3.20

-57.70%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$4.01 €3.60

0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$10.61 €9.53

21.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$16.56 €14.88

-53.08%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$20.18 €18.13

-11.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$2.61 €2.34

-11.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$2.15 €1.93

-19.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$3.43 €3.08

-45.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$5.01 €4.50

-48.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$1.21 €1.09

50.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$1.82 €1.64

8.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$2.28 €2.04

-35.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$1.81 €1.63

-60.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

$12.36 €11.10

-46.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

$13.46 €12.09

-58.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

$3.65 €3.27

-62.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

$4.90 €4.41

-56.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$3.36 €3.02

-30.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

$61.5 €55.2

-27.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$9.51 €8.54

-59.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$1.80 €1.62

-40.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$50.7 €45.57

-67.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$2.36 €2.12

-6.78%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$36.9K €33.1K

-7.31%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$37.7K €33.9K

2.61%

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

$161 €145

$107 €95.9

51.07%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$26.75 €24.03

-31.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$28.89 €25.95

13.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

$38.81 €34.86

14.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

$24.47 €21.98

-21.95%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$17.97 €16.14

-46.58%

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

$668 €600

$727 €653

-8.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$12.7K €11.4K

38.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

$121 €109

-15.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

$56.5 €50.7

-21.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$91.1 €81.8

8.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$176 €158

-29.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$769 €691

109.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$695 €624

71.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

$1,206 €1,084

133.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

$926 €832

117.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

$4,234 €3,803

85.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

$1,886 €1,694

142.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

3.59

7.24%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Varkaus: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Varkaus

$695 35.6% 41.6% $495

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Varkaus

$407 20.9% 49.5% $135

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Varkaus

$318 16.3% 31.2% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Varkaus

$162 8.3% 23.5% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Varkaus

$200 10.3% 20.6% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Varkaus

$75 3.8% 17.3% $11

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Varkaus

$93 4.8% 47.8% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $769 in Varkaus. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $99 in Varkaus for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $407 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇫🇮 Varkaus

🕒 Local time

18:47 6:47 PM

20:47 8:47 PM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

20,257

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lisbon Varkaus 3,620 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

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Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Varkaus: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

You’d need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $2,926 in Varkaus to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $769 in Varkaus. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $727 in Varkaus. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 33% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Varkaus gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Varkaus are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.