Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Varnamo Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Varnamo

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,814 in Varnamo.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $2,828 in Varnamo.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $3,842 in Varnamo.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 23% more expensive than Varnamo, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 66% above, Varnamo 35% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$12.57 SEK 117

28.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$87.3 SEK 812

-26.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$12.19 SEK 113

-14.85%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$5.05 SEK 46.93

-45.15%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$2.84 SEK 26.38

-20.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.07 SEK 19.28

-24.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$8.00 SEK 74.4

-56.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$7.51 SEK 69.8

-46.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.60 SEK 14.90

-32.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.13 SEK 19.83

-18.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$2.94 SEK 27.34

-40.82%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$4.44 SEK 41.29

-28.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$13.16 SEK 122

2.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$11.74 SEK 109

-31.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$16.83 SEK 157

-4.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$3.17 SEK 29.50

-28.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$2.82 SEK 26.23

-39.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$2.77 SEK 25.75

-29.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$4.52 SEK 42.07

-43.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.69 SEK 15.69

8.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.59 SEK 14.83

28.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$2.66 SEK 24.78

-25.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.28 SEK 11.89

-33.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$8.20 SEK 76.3

-16.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$12.22 SEK 114

-52.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.02 SEK 18.80

-32.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.25 SEK 20.91

28.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$3.48 SEK 32.36

-34.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$73.7 SEK 686

-36.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$5.61 SEK 52.2

-27.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.56 SEK 23.77

-67.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$63.8 SEK 593

-71.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.89 SEK 17.61

6.35%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$32.7K SEK 303.8K

7.96%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$34.1K SEK 316.8K

12.99%

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

$145 €124

$123 SEK 1,141

18.47%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$29.26 SEK 272

-28.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$40.11 SEK 373

-0.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$41.27 SEK 384

18.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$24.88 SEK 231

-24.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$17.70 SEK 165

-48.81%

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

$607 €519

$179 SEK 1,664

238.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$4,165 SEK 38.7K

292.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$80.2 SEK 746

30.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$61.0 SEK 567

-32.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$106 SEK 986

-11.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$127 SEK 1,181

-6.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$833 SEK 7,743

92.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$663 SEK 6,169

86.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$1,377 SEK 12.8K

121.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$1,065 SEK 9,902

93.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$4,394 SEK 40.9K

75.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$3,014 SEK 28.0K

41.55%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$2,169 SEK 20.2K

-26.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.8

-20.62%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Varnamo: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $833 in Varnamo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Varnamo pays 37% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $87.0 in Varnamo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $355 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 Varnamo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Varnamo differ by about 23% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $1,814 including rent). Varnamo is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Varnamo earns 37% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $833 in Varnamo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $179 in Varnamo. 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 $1,814 in Varnamo versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Varnamo but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Varnamo 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 Varnamo 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 Varnamo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.