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: $3,203 in Oslo versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,686 in Oslo versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,170 in Oslo versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Oslo is roughly 40% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Oslo 140% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 NOK 245

$16.19 €14.17

56.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 NOK 1,162

$63.3 €55.4

90.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.96 NOK 144

$10.32 €9.03

44.96%

Cappuccino

$5.08 NOK 48.95

$2.83 €2.48

79.51%

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

$4.10 NOK 39.56

$2.29 €2.00

79.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 NOK 30.77

$1.58 €1.38

101.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.37 NOK 119

$3.40 €2.98

263.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.03 NOK 106

$4.03 €3.52

173.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.40 NOK 23.18

$1.09 €0.95

120.18%

White Bread (500g)

$4.03 NOK 38.91

$1.75 €1.53

130.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.67 NOK 35.41

$1.76 €1.54

108.52%

Eggs

$4.95 NOK 47.70

$3.17 €2.77

56.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.66 NOK 132

$13.19 €11.54

3.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.41 NOK 158

$7.97 €6.97

105.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$31.39 NOK 303

$15.53 €13.59

102.12%

Apples (1kg)

$3.60 NOK 34.76

$2.37 €2.07

51.90%

Banana (1kg)

$2.63 NOK 25.38

$1.71 €1.49

53.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 NOK 33.31

$2.01 €1.76

71.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.07 NOK 48.85

$2.43 €2.13

108.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.51 NOK 24.16

$1.76 €1.54

42.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.71 NOK 26.15

$2.03 €1.78

33.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 NOK 26.76

$1.92 €1.68

44.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.41 NOK 23.19

$0.85 €0.74

183.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.46 NOK 168

$6.58 €5.76

165.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.64 NOK 180

$5.58 €4.88

234.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.41 NOK 32.92

$1.33 €1.17

156.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.35 NOK 41.96

$2.97 €2.60

46.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.18 NOK 40.34

$2.28 €1.99

83.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.6 NOK 767

$45.79 €40.06

73.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$10.20 NOK 98.3

$4.23 €3.70

141.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 NOK 13.57

$0.81 €0.71

74.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.75 NOK 403

$18.44 €16.13

126.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 NOK 21.91

$2.08 €1.82

9.13%

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

$36.7K NOK 353.4K

$34.7K €30.3K

5.72%

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

$42.3K NOK 408.3K

$39.2K €34.3K

8.13%

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

$296 NOK 2,855

$148 €130

100.01%

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

$31.29 NOK 302

$20.46 €17.90

52.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.5 NOK 535

$39.56 €34.61

40.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.4 NOK 553

$47.99 €41.99

19.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.40 NOK 274

$18.60 €16.27

52.69%

Cinema Ticket

$18.01 NOK 174

$9.22 €8.07

95.34%

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

$274 NOK 2,647

$616 €539

-55.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K NOK 141.6K

$16.4K €14.4K

-10.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 NOK 996

$103 €89.9

0.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.5 NOK 622

$41.74 €36.52

54.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 NOK 1,166

$94.8 €82.9

27.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$168 NOK 1,616

$122 €107

37.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,700 NOK 16.4K

$1,633 €1,428

4.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,441 NOK 13.9K

$1,232 €1,078

16.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,677 NOK 25.8K

$3,098 €2,711

-13.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,180 NOK 21.0K

$2,031 €1,777

7.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.5K NOK 111.0K

$7,831 €6,851

47.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,961 NOK 67.1K

$4,389 €3,840

58.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 NOK 41.0K

$1,607 €1,406

164.79%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,700 in Oslo and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oslo pays 165% 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: $120 in Oslo vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $505 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

Oslo vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Oslo and Lisbon differ by about 40% in total monthly costs ($3,203 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 165% 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: $1,700 in Oslo versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $274 in Oslo 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 89% 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 40% less than in Oslo. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.