Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandal and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Mandal and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,418 in Mandal versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,777 in Mandal versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,136 in Mandal versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Mandal is roughly 6% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mandal 81% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.65 NOK 247

$16.19 €14.15

58.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 NOK 1,176

$63.3 €55.3

92.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.34 NOK 148

$10.32 €9.02

48.64%

Cappuccino

$5.21 NOK 50.2

$2.83 €2.47

84.10%

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

$4.03 NOK 38.80

$2.29 €2.00

75.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 NOK 32.70

$1.58 €1.38

114.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.32 NOK 109

$3.40 €2.97

232.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.02 NOK 96.5

$4.03 €3.52

148.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.42

$1.09 €0.95

94.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.00 NOK 28.92

$1.75 €1.53

71.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 NOK 43.49

$1.76 €1.54

156.82%

Eggs

$2.97 NOK 28.62

$3.17 €2.77

-6.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 NOK 128

$13.19 €11.53

0.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.19 NOK 156

$7.97 €6.96

103.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.05 NOK 261

$15.53 €13.57

74.18%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 NOK 33.15

$2.37 €2.07

45.15%

Banana (1kg)

$2.56 NOK 24.66

$1.71 €1.49

49.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 NOK 30.05

$2.01 €1.75

55.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.79 NOK 46.14

$2.43 €2.12

97.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.06 NOK 19.89

$1.76 €1.54

17.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 NOK 29.49

$2.03 €1.78

50.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.53 NOK 14.75

$1.92 €1.68

-20.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 NOK 17.05

$0.85 €0.74

108.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.41 NOK 148

$6.58 €5.75

134.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.86 NOK 172

$5.58 €4.87

220.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 NOK 28.72

$1.33 €1.16

124.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.83 NOK 27.27

$2.97 €2.60

-4.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.34 NOK 41.79

$2.28 €1.99

90.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.8 NOK 710

$45.79 €40.01

61.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.51 NOK 53.0

$4.23 €3.69

30.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.01 NOK 9.71

$0.81 €0.71

24.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.6 NOK 960

$18.44 €16.11

440.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 NOK 20.75

$2.08 €1.82

3.37%

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

$34.3K NOK 330.5K

$34.7K €30.3K

-1.03%

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

$33.4K NOK 321.3K

$39.2K €34.2K

-14.81%

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

$193 NOK 1,863

$148 €129

30.61%

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

$33.83 NOK 326

$20.46 €17.88

65.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.2 NOK 802

$39.56 €34.56

110.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.80 NOK 470

$47.99 €41.93

1.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.86 NOK 345

$18.60 €16.25

92.80%

Cinema Ticket

$19.04 NOK 183

$9.22 €8.06

106.51%

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

$319 NOK 3,072

$616 €538

-48.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K NOK 123.3K

$16.4K €14.4K

-22.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 NOK 1,156

$103 €89.7

16.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.7 NOK 575

$41.74 €36.47

43.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 NOK 995

$94.8 €82.8

9.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 NOK 1,536

$122 €107

30.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,221 NOK 11.8K

$1,633 €1,426

-25.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$882 NOK 8,500

$1,232 €1,077

-28.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 NOK 17.7K

$3,098 €2,707

-40.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,525 NOK 14.7K

$2,031 €1,775

-24.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,630 NOK 63.9K

$7,831 €6,842

-15.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,911 NOK 37.7K

$4,389 €3,835

-10.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,139 NOK 39.9K

$1,607 €1,404

157.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.51

3.81

18.37%

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

Last update for Mandal: July 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,221 in Mandal and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandal pays 158% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $122 in Mandal vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $448 vs $267 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

Mandal vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mandal and Lisbon differ by about 6% in total monthly costs ($2,418 vs $2,291 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 158% higher in Mandal, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,221 in Mandal versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $319 in Mandal versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 68% higher in Mandal. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Mandal and Lisbon 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Mandal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.