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: $2,864 in Mandal versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,253 in Mandal versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,642 in Mandal versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Mandal is roughly 24% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mandal 108% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.02 NOK 242

$17.30 €14.87

50.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.5 NOK 906

$63.3 €54.4

54.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.79 NOK 147

$11.39 €9.79

38.63%

Cappuccino

$6.58 NOK 61.1

$3.19 €2.74

106.27%

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

$5.54 NOK 51.4

$2.45 €2.10

126.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.41 NOK 40.94

$1.76 €1.52

150.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$13.96 NOK 130

$3.59 €3.09

288.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.33 NOK 114

$3.39 €2.92

263.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.29 NOK 21.23

$1.24 €1.06

84.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.74 NOK 34.75

$1.98 €1.71

88.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 NOK 36.42

$1.52 €1.31

157.89%

Eggs

$3.30 NOK 30.66

$4.04 €3.47

-18.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 NOK 131

$13.54 €11.64

3.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.95 NOK 157

$8.39 €7.21

102.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$35.88 NOK 333

$18.25 €15.69

96.60%

Apples (1kg)

$3.72 NOK 34.57

$2.29 €1.97

62.45%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 NOK 26.99

$1.74 €1.50

67.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 NOK 33.19

$1.86 €1.60

91.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 NOK 46.08

$2.63 €2.26

88.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 NOK 23.66

$1.92 €1.65

32.81%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 NOK 29.80

$2.09 €1.80

53.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.58 NOK 14.67

$1.44 €1.24

9.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.30 NOK 21.38

$0.84 €0.72

173.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.16 NOK 169

$6.78 €5.83

167.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.57 NOK 172

$5.71 €4.91

225.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 NOK 28.92

$1.38 €1.18

125.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 NOK 28.87

$2.22 €1.91

40.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.91 NOK 45.60

$2.40 €2.06

104.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.7 NOK 749

$46.78 €40.22

72.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.91 NOK 54.9

$4.17 €3.59

41.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 NOK 11.69

$1.14 €0.98

10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$105 NOK 979

$17.68 €15.20

496.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 NOK 20.44

$2.32 €2.00

-5.17%

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

$49.4K NOK 459.0K

$35.3K €30.4K

39.89%

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

$42.4K NOK 393.6K

$41.4K €35.6K

2.29%

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

$247 NOK 2,292

$170 €146

44.95%

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

$34.96 NOK 325

$19.34 €16.62

80.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.7 NOK 768

$33.64 €28.92

145.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.7 NOK 471

$48.10 €41.35

5.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.96 NOK 325

$19.90 €17.11

75.68%

Cinema Ticket

$21.98 NOK 204

$9.92 €8.53

121.57%

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

$329 NOK 3,055

$717 €617

-54.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 134.3K

$17.5K €15.0K

-17.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$130 NOK 1,212

$105 €90.1

24.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.7 NOK 563

$46.95 €40.36

29.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$155 NOK 1,443

$103 €88.9

50.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$202 NOK 1,877

$124 €107

63.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,284 NOK 11.9K

$1,677 €1,441

-23.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,123 NOK 10.4K

$1,271 €1,093

-11.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 NOK 20.5K

$2,985 €2,566

-26.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,744 NOK 16.2K

$1,992 €1,713

-12.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,510 NOK 60.4K

$7,826 €6,728

-16.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,359 NOK 40.5K

$4,658 €4,004

-6.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,421 NOK 41.0K

$1,583 €1,361

179.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.27

3.79

39.05%

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

Last update for Mandal: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,284 in Mandal and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mandal pays 179% 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: $98.0 in Mandal vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $506 vs $283 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 24% in total monthly costs ($2,864 vs $2,316 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 179% 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: $1,284 in Mandal versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $329 in Mandal versus $717 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 79% 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 24% less than in Mandal. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.