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: $3,141 in Oslo versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,597 in Oslo versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,053 in Oslo versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Oslo is roughly 42% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 134% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.53 NOK 238

$15.91 €13.70

60.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$123 NOK 1,144

$64.8 €55.8

89.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 NOK 141

$10.51 €9.05

44.15%

Cappuccino

$4.86 NOK 45.41

$2.87 €2.47

69.34%

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

$4.08 NOK 38.14

$2.24 €1.93

82.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 29.79

$1.50 €1.29

112.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.02 NOK 112

$3.49 €3.01

244.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.22 NOK 105

$3.88 €3.34

189.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 NOK 22.35

$1.14 €0.98

109.65%

White Bread (500g)

$4.09 NOK 38.17

$1.75 €1.51

133.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.66 NOK 34.19

$1.76 €1.51

107.95%

Eggs

$5.03 NOK 47.00

$3.22 €2.77

56.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.46 NOK 126

$13.49 €11.61

-0.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 NOK 150

$7.91 €6.81

102.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.76 NOK 287

$15.87 €13.67

93.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.49 NOK 32.63

$2.31 €1.99

51.08%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 24.53

$1.70 €1.46

54.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 NOK 31.32

$2.01 €1.73

66.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.16 NOK 48.20

$2.46 €2.12

109.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.43 NOK 22.69

$1.84 €1.59

32.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 25.33

$2.00 €1.72

35.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.85 NOK 26.61

$1.93 €1.66

47.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 NOK 21.84

$0.79 €0.68

196.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.19 NOK 160

$6.61 €5.69

160.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.93 NOK 177

$5.72 €4.93

230.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 NOK 31.28

$1.37 €1.18

144.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.38 NOK 40.87

$2.97 €2.56

47.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.31 NOK 40.20

$2.37 €2.04

81.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.9 NOK 727

$45.56 €39.22

70.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.04 NOK 93.8

$4.29 €3.69

134.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 NOK 12.93

$0.82 €0.70

68.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.24 NOK 394

$18.30 €15.76

130.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.34

$2.06 €1.78

5.83%

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

$36.5K NOK 340.5K

$34.3K €29.5K

6.40%

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

$42.7K NOK 398.5K

$39.3K €33.8K

8.62%

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

$304 NOK 2,834

$148 €127

105.32%

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

$31.63 NOK 295

$20.52 €17.67

54.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 NOK 532

$39.61 €34.10

43.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.8 NOK 539

$47.85 €41.19

20.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.64 NOK 267

$18.92 €16.29

51.37%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 168

$9.18 €7.91

96.19%

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

$274 NOK 2,556

$614 €529

-55.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.5K NOK 135.8K

$16.0K €13.8K

-9.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 NOK 987

$105 €90.1

1.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 NOK 611

$42.06 €36.21

55.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$124 NOK 1,158

$94.0 €80.9

31.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,572

$120 €103

40.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 NOK 15.6K

$1,628 €1,401

2.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,446 NOK 13.5K

$1,255 €1,081

15.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,749 NOK 25.7K

$3,030 €2,609

-9.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,165 NOK 20.2K

$2,020 €1,739

7.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.0K NOK 112.2K

$7,800 €6,715

54.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,295 NOK 68.1K

$4,273 €3,678

70.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,411 NOK 41.2K

$1,603 €1,380

175.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.08

3.81

33.33%

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

Last update for Oslo: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Oslo and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 175% 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 Oslo vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $500 vs $269 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 42% in total monthly costs ($3,141 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Oslo pays 175% more on average, 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: $1,671 in Oslo versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Oslo versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 86% 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 42% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.