Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Vasteras Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Vasteras

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,756 in Vasteras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $2,803 in Vasteras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $3,850 in Vasteras.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 29% more expensive than Vasteras, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Vasteras 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$14.84 SEK 139

7.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$67.4 SEK 632

-5.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$10.45 SEK 98.0

-0.67%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$4.64 SEK 43.48

-39.87%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$2.69 SEK 25.24

-13.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$2.43 SEK 22.76

-35.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$7.58 SEK 71.1

-54.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$7.19 SEK 67.5

-45.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.53 SEK 14.36

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$2.64 SEK 24.73

-32.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$3.94 SEK 36.93

-56.60%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$3.86 SEK 36.25

-18.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$11.82 SEK 111

15.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$12.52 SEK 117

-36.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$15.60 SEK 146

-0.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$3.20 SEK 30.02

-28.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$2.67 SEK 25.03

-38.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$3.42 SEK 32.12

-43.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$3.59 SEK 33.64

-30.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.54 SEK 14.46

16.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.93 SEK 18.08

4.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$2.78 SEK 26.05

-29.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$1.72 SEK 16.16

-51.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$7.36 SEK 69.0

-7.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$14.17 SEK 133

-59.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.40 SEK 13.16

-0.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.91 SEK 17.89

58.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$3.34 SEK 31.30

-32.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$74.0 SEK 694

-38.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$3.61 SEK 33.88

18.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.61 SEK 15.08

-47.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$83.1 SEK 780

-78.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.92 SEK 18.03

3.65%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$32.0K SEK 300.2K

9.47%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$33.7K SEK 315.9K

17.44%

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

$146 €126

$89.5 SEK 839

63.42%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$28.80 SEK 270

-28.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$37.01 SEK 347

5.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$37.46 SEK 351

30.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$20.96 SEK 197

-10.16%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$19.15 SEK 180

-50.29%

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

$608 €524

$159 SEK 1,489

283.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$5,190 SEK 48.7K

218.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$96.5 SEK 906

7.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$41.49 SEK 389

1.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$92.9 SEK 871

-0.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$125 SEK 1,168

-3.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$832 SEK 7,800

95.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$608 SEK 5,700

108.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$1,465 SEK 13.7K

108.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$1,164 SEK 10.9K

72.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$3,807 SEK 35.7K

101.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$2,599 SEK 24.4K

66.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$3,142 SEK 29.5K

-49.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

4.87

-21.77%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Last update for Vasteras: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $832 in Vasteras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vasteras pays 98% 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 $67.0 in Vasteras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $361 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 Vasteras: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Vasteras differ by about 29% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,756 including rent). Vasteras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Vasteras earns 98% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $832 in Vasteras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $159 in Vasteras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 34% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,756 in Vasteras versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Vasteras but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Vasteras 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 Vasteras 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 Vasteras gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.