Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,482 in Oslo versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,887 in Oslo versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,292 in Oslo versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Oslo is roughly 50% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 153% above, Lisbon 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.52 NOK 200

$17.30 €14.93

24.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$127 NOK 1,186

$63.3 €54.6

101.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.83 NOK 148

$11.39 €9.83

38.98%

Cappuccino

$6.01 NOK 56.0

$3.19 €2.75

88.40%

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

$4.17 NOK 38.85

$2.45 €2.11

70.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 NOK 31.92

$1.76 €1.52

94.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$11.58 NOK 108

$3.59 €3.10

222.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$12.62 NOK 118

$3.39 €2.93

272.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.57 NOK 23.97

$1.24 €1.07

107.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.31 NOK 40.18

$1.98 €1.71

117.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.59 NOK 42.76

$1.52 €1.31

201.97%

Eggs

$5.96 NOK 55.6

$4.04 €3.49

47.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.97 NOK 139

$13.54 €11.68

10.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.70 NOK 146

$8.39 €7.24

87.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.01 NOK 280

$18.25 €15.75

64.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.48 NOK 32.45

$2.29 €1.98

51.97%

Banana (1kg)

$2.67 NOK 24.91

$1.74 €1.50

53.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.63 NOK 33.79

$1.86 €1.60

95.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.97 NOK 55.6

$2.63 €2.27

127.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 NOK 25.57

$1.92 €1.65

42.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.94 NOK 27.40

$2.09 €1.81

40.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.21 NOK 29.91

$1.44 €1.24

122.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 NOK 22.87

$0.84 €0.73

192.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.43 NOK 181

$6.78 €5.85

186.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.63 NOK 155

$5.71 €4.93

191.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.46 NOK 32.27

$1.38 €1.19

150.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 NOK 39.99

$2.22 €1.91

93.24%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.95 NOK 46.16

$2.40 €2.07

106.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$83.6 NOK 779

$46.78 €40.37

78.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.10 NOK 113

$4.17 €3.60

190.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 NOK 17.89

$1.14 €0.98

68.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$71.7 NOK 668

$17.68 €15.26

305.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.18

$2.32 €2.01

-2.16%

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

$50.0K NOK 466.0K

$35.3K €30.5K

41.53%

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

$45.3K NOK 421.7K

$41.4K €35.8K

9.21%

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

$431 NOK 4,015

$170 €147

152.98%

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

$32.70 NOK 305

$19.34 €16.69

69.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.7 NOK 528

$33.64 €29.03

68.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.6 NOK 555

$48.10 €41.50

23.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.91 NOK 269

$19.90 €17.17

45.28%

Cinema Ticket

$19.06 NOK 178

$9.92 €8.56

92.14%

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

$251 NOK 2,343

$717 €619

-64.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.8K NOK 147.5K

$17.5K €15.1K

-9.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 956

$105 €90.4

-2.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.1 NOK 578

$46.95 €40.51

32.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 NOK 1,287

$103 €89.2

33.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$161 NOK 1,498

$124 €107

29.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 NOK 19.4K

$1,677 €1,447

24.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 NOK 14.7K

$1,271 €1,097

24.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 NOK 28.4K

$2,985 €2,575

1.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,251 NOK 21.0K

$1,992 €1,719

12.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.1K NOK 113.0K

$7,826 €6,753

54.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,880 NOK 64.1K

$4,658 €4,019

47.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,469 NOK 41.6K

$1,583 €1,366

182.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.96

3.79

30.87%

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

Last update for Oslo: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,079 in Oslo and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 182% 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: $127 in Oslo vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $518 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

Oslo vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oslo and Lisbon differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($3,482 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 182% higher in Oslo, 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: $2,079 in Oslo versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $251 in Oslo 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 83% higher in Oslo. 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, Oslo 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 50% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.