Cost of Living Comparison Between Roskilde and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Roskilde and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,463 in Roskilde versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,950 in Roskilde versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,436 in Roskilde versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Roskilde is roughly 11% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Roskilde 84% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.44 DKK 119

$15.91 €13.69

15.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$117 DKK 752

$64.8 €55.7

80.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.88 DKK 89.3

$10.51 €9.04

32.06%

Cappuccino

$6.81 DKK 43.77

$2.87 €2.47

137.28%

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

$4.69 DKK 30.15

$2.24 €1.93

109.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 DKK 19.76

$1.50 €1.29

104.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.20 DKK 59.2

$3.49 €3.00

163.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.59 DKK 48.80

$3.88 €3.34

95.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 DKK 12.61

$1.14 €0.98

71.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 DKK 20.97

$1.75 €1.51

86.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 DKK 15.63

$1.76 €1.51

38.07%

Eggs

$4.89 DKK 31.41

$3.22 €2.77

51.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.52 DKK 86.9

$13.49 €11.61

0.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.90 DKK 70.1

$7.91 €6.81

37.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.11 DKK 104

$15.87 €13.65

1.51%

Apples (1kg)

$2.78 DKK 17.90

$2.31 €1.99

20.35%

Banana (1kg)

$2.93 DKK 18.85

$1.70 €1.46

72.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 DKK 13.56

$2.01 €1.73

4.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.09 DKK 26.31

$2.46 €2.12

66.26%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 DKK 11.71

$1.84 €1.59

-1.09%

Onion (1kg)

$1.54 DKK 9.91

$2.00 €1.72

-23.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 DKK 10.46

$1.93 €1.66

-15.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 DKK 4.83

$0.79 €0.68

-5.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.74 DKK 56.2

$6.61 €5.68

32.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.72 DKK 49.65

$5.72 €4.92

34.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 DKK 12.61

$1.37 €1.17

43.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 DKK 13.86

$2.97 €2.56

-27.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.79 DKK 24.35

$2.37 €2.04

59.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.0 DKK 501

$45.56 €39.19

71.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.34 DKK 40.77

$4.29 €3.69

47.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 DKK 8.87

$0.82 €0.70

68.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.5 DKK 389

$18.30 €15.74

230.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.11 DKK 13.56

$2.06 €1.78

2.43%

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

$49.2K DKK 316.4K

$34.3K €29.5K

43.57%

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

$47.8K DKK 307.6K

$39.3K €33.8K

21.78%

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

$205 DKK 1,317

$148 €127

38.53%

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

$20.15 DKK 130

$20.52 €17.65

-1.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.16 DKK 258

$39.61 €34.08

1.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.9 DKK 347

$47.85 €41.16

12.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$30.15 DKK 194

$18.92 €16.28

59.36%

Cinema Ticket

$16.99 DKK 109

$9.18 €7.90

85.08%

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

$395 DKK 2,541

$614 €528

-35.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,857 DKK 37.7K

$16.0K €13.8K

-63.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 DKK 673

$105 €90.0

-0.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.35 DKK 234

$42.06 €36.18

-13.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 DKK 775

$94.0 €80.8

28.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 DKK 1,293

$120 €103

68.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,324 DKK 8,514

$1,628 €1,400

-18.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 DKK 7,354

$1,255 €1,080

-8.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,634 DKK 16.9K

$3,030 €2,607

-13.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 DKK 13.5K

$2,020 €1,738

4.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,977 DKK 44.9K

$7,800 €6,709

-10.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,208 DKK 39.9K

$4,273 €3,675

45.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,306 DKK 27.7K

$1,603 €1,379

168.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.93

3.81

3.15%

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

Last update for Roskilde: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,324 in Roskilde and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Roskilde pays 169% 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: $117 in Roskilde vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 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

Roskilde vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Roskilde and Lisbon differ by about 11% in total monthly costs ($2,463 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Roskilde pays 169% 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: $1,324 in Roskilde versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $395 in Roskilde 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 26% higher in Roskilde. 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, Roskilde 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 Roskilde. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.