Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Oslo and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $3,427 in Oslo, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Oslo
🇳🇴 Norway
$3,427
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Oslo and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Oslo and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,427 in Oslo versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Oslo $3,427
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,942 in Oslo versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Oslo $4,942
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,457 in Oslo versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Oslo $6,457
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Oslo is roughly 54% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 154% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Oslo
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.56 NOK 194
$16.50 €14.67
24.61%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$126 NOK 1,185
$61.3 €54.5
105.47%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.56 NOK 146
$11.27 €10.03
38.07%
Cappuccino
$5.83 NOK 54.9
$3.06 €2.72
90.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.32 NOK 40.70
$2.26 €2.01
91.15%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 NOK 31.39
$1.73 €1.54
92.49%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$11.46 NOK 108
$3.39 €3.02
238.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$12.30 NOK 116
$3.40 €3.02
261.76%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Oslo
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.45 NOK 23.11
$1.12 €1.00
118.75%
White Bread (500g)
$4.20 NOK 39.55
$1.86 €1.65
125.81%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.76 NOK 44.80
$1.53 €1.36
211.11%
Eggs
$5.79 NOK 54.5
$3.96 €3.53
46.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.59 NOK 137
$12.76 €11.35
14.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.42 NOK 145
$7.90 €7.02
95.19%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$31.00 NOK 292
$16.97 €15.09
82.68%
Apples (1kg)
$3.34 NOK 31.43
$2.27 €2.02
47.14%
Banana (1kg)
$2.66 NOK 25.05
$1.75 €1.55
52.00%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.39 NOK 31.95
$1.85 €1.64
83.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.76 NOK 54.3
$2.57 €2.28
124.12%
Potato (1kg)
$2.70 NOK 25.43
$1.86 €1.65
45.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.87 NOK 26.99
$2.02 €1.80
42.08%
Lettuce (1 head)
$3.18 NOK 29.90
$1.44 €1.28
120.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.35 NOK 22.17
$0.82 €0.73
186.59%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$19.05 NOK 179
$6.56 €5.83
190.40%
Wine (Bottle)
$16.27 NOK 153
$5.62 €5.00
189.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.48 NOK 32.79
$1.28 €1.14
171.88%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.15 NOK 39.09
$2.07 €1.84
100.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Oslo
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.70 NOK 44.24
$2.35 €2.09
100.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$80.2 NOK 755
$44.18 €39.30
81.55%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$12.10 NOK 114
$3.99 €3.55
203.26%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.80 NOK 16.94
$1.09 €0.97
65.14%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$69.3 NOK 652
$16.64 €14.81
316.23%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.35 NOK 22.10
$2.28 €2.03
3.07%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$48.1K NOK 453.1K
$33.7K €30.0K
42.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$43.8K NOK 412.4K
$39.3K €35.0K
11.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oslo
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$425 NOK 3,999
$167 €149
153.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$33.77 NOK 318
$18.80 €16.72
79.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$53.7 NOK 505
$33.09 €29.43
62.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Oslo
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$59.8 NOK 563
$46.01 €40.93
29.93%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$29.20 NOK 275
$19.19 €17.07
52.16%
Cinema Ticket
$20.11 NOK 189
$9.84 €8.75
104.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Oslo
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$238 NOK 2,237
$677 €602
-64.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.5K NOK 145.6K
$16.9K €15.1K
-8.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Oslo
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 NOK 949
$101 €90.1
-0.45%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$58.8 NOK 554
$45.76 €40.70
28.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$135 NOK 1,271
$100.0 €88.9
35.04%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$157 NOK 1,474
$123 €109
27.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Oslo
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,018 NOK 19.0K
$1,614 €1,436
25.05%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,587 NOK 14.9K
$1,197 €1,065
32.57%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,978 NOK 28.0K
$2,862 €2,545
4.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,397 NOK 22.6K
$1,990 €1,770
20.44%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$11.7K NOK 110.2K
$7,577 €6,740
54.54%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$6,719 NOK 63.3K
$4,307 €3,831
56.01%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Oslo
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,687 NOK 44.1K
$1,588 €1,412
195.18%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.94
3.85
28.31%

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

Last update for Oslo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Oslo
$1.6K
Lisbon
$1.2K 24.6% $390
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Oslo
$512
Lisbon
$219 57.2% $293
Groceries & Markets
Oslo
$511
Lisbon
$269 47.3% $241
Eating Out
Oslo
$394
Lisbon
$242 38.5% $151
Clothing & Footwear
Oslo
$203
Lisbon
$166 18% $37
Getting Around
Oslo
$120
Lisbon
$63 47.5% $57
Sport & Entertainment
Oslo
$100
Lisbon
$66 34.3% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,018 in Oslo and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 195% 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: $126 in Oslo vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $511 vs $269 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇳🇴 Oslo
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
01:41 1:41 AM
00:41 12:41 AM
1 h behind Oslo
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
1,098,061 Capital
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to NOK – Norwegian Krone Converter

Norwegian Krone exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 9.41 NOK (1 NOK = 0.106 USD). 1 EUR = 10.58 NOK (100 NOK = 9.45 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Oslo Lisbon 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Oslo
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
What is the total cost difference between living in Oslo and in Lisbon?
Oslo and Lisbon differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($3,427 vs $2,223 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Oslo or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 195% higher in Oslo, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Oslo and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,018 in Oslo versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Oslo and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $238 in Oslo versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 90% higher in Oslo. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $3,427 in Oslo, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Oslo. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Oslo and Lisbon?
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.
Is Oslo or Lisbon safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Oslo or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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