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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,726 in Vasteras.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $2,721 in Vasteras.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $3,716 in Vasteras.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 32% more expensive than in Vasteras, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Vasteras 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$14.54 SEK 138

8.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$68.1 SEK 647

-6.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$10.47 SEK 99.5

-0.19%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$4.48 SEK 42.53

-35.04%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$2.69 SEK 25.52

-14.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$2.52 SEK 23.97

-40.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$7.42 SEK 70.5

-52.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$7.26 SEK 68.9

-45.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.53 SEK 14.56

-29.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$2.73 SEK 25.89

-35.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$3.73 SEK 35.43

-54.42%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$4.05 SEK 38.49

-19.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$12.04 SEK 114

10.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$12.29 SEK 117

-37.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$15.62 SEK 148

0.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$3.32 SEK 31.53

-31.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.63 SEK 25.02

-36.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$3.61 SEK 34.28

-44.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$3.79 SEK 36.00

-34.83%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.50 SEK 14.29

19.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$2.01 SEK 19.09

2.99%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$2.68 SEK 25.45

-26.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$1.76 SEK 16.70

-52.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$7.18 SEK 68.2

-8.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$12.56 SEK 119

-55.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.46 SEK 13.82

-8.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.98 SEK 18.86

52.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$3.41 SEK 32.40

-33.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$73.7 SEK 700

-37.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$3.78 SEK 35.92

11.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$1.59 SEK 15.10

-46.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$84.8 SEK 806

-77.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.99 SEK 18.86

1.51%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$32.2K SEK 306.1K

8.51%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$34.8K SEK 330.2K

14.06%

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

$148 €128

$88.2 SEK 838

67.66%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$28.82 SEK 274

-28.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$36.67 SEK 348

7.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$37.42 SEK 356

28.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$21.43 SEK 204

-14.19%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$19.82 SEK 188

-54.09%

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

$615 €532

$160 SEK 1,520

284.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$5,216 SEK 49.6K

212.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$95.9 SEK 911

5.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$42.87 SEK 407

-1.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$92.3 SEK 877

0.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$125 SEK 1,183

-1.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$839 SEK 7,971

92.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$597 SEK 5,673

109.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$1,482 SEK 14.1K

107.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$1,133 SEK 10.8K

79.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$3,751 SEK 35.6K

106.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$2,543 SEK 24.2K

68.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$3,080 SEK 29.3K

-47.99%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Vasteras: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $839 in Vasteras. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vasteras pays 92% 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 $68.0 in Vasteras for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 32% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,726 including rent). Vasteras is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 92% lower in Vasteras. 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $839 in Vasteras. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $160 in Vasteras. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 35% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,726 in Vasteras versus $2,280 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 32% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.