Cost of Living Comparison Between Nuuk and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Nuuk and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,537 in Nuuk versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,108 in Nuuk versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,680 in Nuuk versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Nuuk is roughly 11% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Nuuk 90% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.79 DKK 103

$16.19 €14.15

-2.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.4 DKK 525

$63.3 €55.3

26.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.45 DKK 101

$10.32 €9.02

49.71%

Cappuccino

$6.81 DKK 44.51

$2.83 €2.47

140.64%

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

$2.82 DKK 18.43

$2.29 €2.00

23.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 DKK 22.44

$1.58 €1.38

117.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.94 DKK 65.0

$3.40 €2.97

192.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.99 DKK 52.2

$4.03 €3.52

98.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.79 DKK 18.20

$1.09 €0.95

155.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 DKK 25.31

$1.75 €1.53

121.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 DKK 25.72

$1.76 €1.54

123.86%

Eggs

$4.89 DKK 31.92

$3.17 €2.77

54.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$37.78 DKK 247

$13.19 €11.53

186.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$24.83 DKK 162

$7.97 €6.96

211.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.80 DKK 103

$15.53 €13.57

1.74%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 DKK 25.58

$2.37 €2.07

65.40%

Banana (1kg)

$4.56 DKK 29.81

$1.71 €1.49

166.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.07 DKK 20.08

$2.01 €1.75

52.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.81 DKK 24.91

$2.43 €2.12

56.79%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 DKK 22.24

$1.76 €1.54

93.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.41 DKK 22.26

$2.03 €1.78

67.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.56 DKK 29.82

$1.92 €1.68

137.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 DKK 19.70

$0.85 €0.74

255.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 DKK 66.0

$6.58 €5.75

53.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$23.98 DKK 157

$5.58 €4.87

329.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.02 DKK 39.34

$1.33 €1.16

352.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 DKK 19.92

$2.97 €2.60

2.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.32 DKK 21.72

$2.28 €1.99

45.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$88.6 DKK 579

$45.79 €40.01

93.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.61 DKK 36.63

$4.23 €3.69

32.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.64 DKK 49.90

$18.44 €16.11

-58.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 DKK 6.78

$2.08 €1.82

-50.00%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

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

$39.2K €34.2K

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

$229 DKK 1,498

$148 €129

54.84%

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

$62.3 DKK 407

$20.46 €17.88

204.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$157 DKK 1,025

$39.56 €34.56

296.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.9 DKK 365

$47.99 €41.93

16.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

Cinema Ticket

$18.26 DKK 119

$9.22 €8.06

98.05%

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

$591 DKK 3,858

$616 €538

-4.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,171 DKK 7,649

$1,633 €1,426

-28.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$915 DKK 5,978

$1,232 €1,077

-25.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,612 DKK 17.1K

$3,098 €2,707

-15.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,400 DKK 15.7K

$2,031 €1,775

18.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,538 DKK 23.1K

$7,831 €6,842

-54.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,718 DKK 30.8K

$4,389 €3,835

7.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,018 DKK 32.8K

$1,607 €1,404

212.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.71

3.81

23.62%

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

Last update for Nuuk: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,171 in Nuuk and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Nuuk pays 212% 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: $80.0 in Nuuk vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $621 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

Nuuk vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nuuk and Lisbon differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,537 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 212% higher in Nuuk, 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: $1,171 in Nuuk versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $591 in Nuuk 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 132% higher in Nuuk. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,537 in Nuuk, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Nuuk. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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, Nuuk 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 11% less than in Nuuk. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.