Cost of Living Comparison Between Sala and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Sala and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,496 in Sala versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,234 in Sala versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,973 in Sala versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

Living in Sala costs roughly 33% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sala 12% above, Lisbon 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.80 SEK 119

$16.17 €13.84

-20.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 SEK 591

$64.6 €55.3

-1.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.15 SEK 94.4

$10.38 €8.88

-2.22%

Cappuccino

$3.18 SEK 29.55

$2.77 €2.37

14.80%

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

$1.83 SEK 17.05

$2.25 €1.92

-18.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 SEK 22.99

$1.57 €1.35

57.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.29 SEK 67.8

$3.49 €2.99

108.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 SEK 70.4

$4.00 €3.43

89.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.83 SEK 17.06

$1.08 €0.93

69.44%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 SEK 24.65

$1.74 €1.49

52.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.68 SEK 34.23

$1.74 €1.49

111.49%

Eggs

$4.07 SEK 37.86

$3.18 €2.72

27.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 SEK 109

$13.43 €11.50

-12.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.91 SEK 111

$7.99 €6.84

49.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 SEK 148

$16.09 €13.77

-1.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.02 SEK 28.10

$2.28 €1.95

32.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 25.11

$1.72 €1.48

56.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.72 SEK 25.33

$1.94 €1.66

40.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.14 SEK 47.78

$2.54 €2.18

102.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.52 SEK 14.13

$1.83 €1.57

-16.94%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 SEK 11.13

$2.04 €1.75

-41.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 SEK 25.32

$1.98 €1.69

37.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 SEK 9.91

$0.85 €0.73

25.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.55 SEK 70.3

$6.85 €5.87

10.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.47 SEK 60.2

$5.78 €4.94

11.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 SEK 23.03

$1.37 €1.18

81.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 SEK 17.52

$2.90 €2.48

-35.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.22 SEK 29.90

$2.28 €1.95

41.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.91 SEK 204

$46.84 €40.10

-53.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.25 SEK 58.2

$4.08 €3.49

53.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 SEK 15.44

$0.82 €0.70

102.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.07 SEK 196

$18.27 €15.64

15.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.98 SEK 18.40

$2.01 €1.72

-1.49%

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

$42.7K SEK 396.7K

$35.3K €30.2K

20.96%

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

$34.4K SEK 319.7K

$38.5K €32.9K

-10.70%

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

$88.1 SEK 819

$145 €124

-39.43%

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

$21.33 SEK 198

$20.96 €17.94

1.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.05 SEK 345

$40.05 €34.29

-7.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.76 SEK 453

$48.79 €41.76

-0.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.11 SEK 196

$18.69 €16.00

12.95%

Cinema Ticket

$19.10 SEK 178

$9.06 €7.76

110.82%

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

$147 SEK 1,367

$607 €519

-75.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,286 SEK 12.0K

$16.3K €14.0K

-92.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.81 SEK 445

$105 €89.6

-54.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.57 SEK 340

$40.95 €35.06

-10.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.6 SEK 517

$93.6 €80.1

-40.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$58.8 SEK 547

$119 €101

-50.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$755 SEK 7,022

$1,604 €1,373

-52.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$534 SEK 4,965

$1,236 €1,058

-56.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$984 SEK 9,154

$3,046 €2,607

-67.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$720 SEK 6,697

$2,057 €1,761

-64.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,275 SEK 39.8K

$7,709 €6,599

-44.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,074 SEK 28.6K

$4,266 €3,652

-27.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,601 SEK 24.2K

$1,584 €1,356

64.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.53

3.81

18.90%

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

Last update for Sala: April 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $755 in Sala and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 64% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Sala vs $65.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $271, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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

Sala vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sala and Lisbon differ by about 49% in total monthly costs ($1,496 vs $2,227 including rent). Sala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Sala pays 64% 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: $755 in Sala versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $147 in Sala versus $607 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 28% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,496 in Sala versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sala but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Sala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Sala 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 Sala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.