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: $1,491 in Sala versus $2,263 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,247 in Sala versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,003 in Sala versus $4,368 in Lisbon.

Living in Sala costs roughly 34% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sala 11% above, Lisbon 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.55 SEK 118

$15.94 €13.73

-21.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 SEK 590

$63.4 €54.6

-0.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.48 SEK 98.4

$10.38 €8.95

0.96%

Cappuccino

$3.20 SEK 29.99

$2.79 €2.40

14.70%

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

$1.81 SEK 17.00

$2.34 €2.01

-22.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 SEK 22.50

$1.57 €1.35

52.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.53 SEK 70.6

$3.43 €2.95

119.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.57 SEK 71.0

$3.91 €3.37

93.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 SEK 17.26

$1.08 €0.93

70.37%

White Bread (500g)

$2.69 SEK 25.26

$1.77 €1.52

51.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.74 SEK 35.07

$1.71 €1.47

118.71%

Eggs

$4.04 SEK 37.93

$3.15 €2.71

28.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.78 SEK 111

$13.68 €11.79

-13.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.64 SEK 109

$8.01 €6.90

45.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 SEK 149

$15.52 €13.37

2.06%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 SEK 29.59

$2.29 €1.98

37.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 SEK 25.35

$1.64 €1.41

64.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.82 SEK 26.43

$1.94 €1.67

45.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.04 SEK 47.26

$2.51 €2.17

100.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.55 SEK 14.57

$1.79 €1.54

-13.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 SEK 11.15

$2.01 €1.73

-40.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 SEK 25.46

$1.97 €1.69

37.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.04 SEK 9.73

$0.84 €0.73

23.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.54 SEK 70.7

$6.79 €5.85

11.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.41 SEK 60.2

$5.67 €4.89

13.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 SEK 23.45

$1.39 €1.20

79.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 SEK 18.14

$3.02 €2.60

-36.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.15 SEK 29.51

$2.27 €1.95

38.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.82 SEK 205

$45.44 €39.15

-51.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.30 SEK 59.1

$4.29 €3.70

46.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 SEK 14.84

$0.85 €0.73

85.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.87 SEK 196

$18.28 €15.75

14.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 SEK 18.78

$1.99 €1.71

0.50%

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

$42.2K SEK 395.7K

$35.0K €30.2K

20.41%

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

$34.2K SEK 321.0K

$39.5K €34.1K

-13.46%

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

$88.8 SEK 833

$146 €126

-39.27%

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

$20.84 SEK 196

$20.45 €17.62

1.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.20 SEK 349

$38.98 €33.58

-4.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.92 SEK 450

$48.98 €42.21

-2.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.95 SEK 197

$18.83 €16.22

11.26%

Cinema Ticket

$19.22 SEK 180

$9.52 €8.21

101.89%

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

$146 SEK 1,373

$608 €524

-75.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,254 SEK 11.8K

$16.5K €14.2K

-92.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.54 SEK 437

$104 €89.5

-55.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.23 SEK 349

$42.12 €36.29

-11.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$54.8 SEK 514

$92.2 €79.5

-40.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.4 SEK 538

$120 €103

-52.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$774 SEK 7,256

$1,621 €1,397

-52.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$545 SEK 5,113

$1,268 €1,092

-57.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$965 SEK 9,049

$3,048 €2,626

-68.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$726 SEK 6,811

$2,009 €1,731

-63.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,001 SEK 37.5K

$7,663 €6,602

-47.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,328 SEK 31.2K

$4,329 €3,730

-23.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,569 SEK 24.1K

$1,585 €1,366

62.10%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $774 in Sala and $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sala pays 62% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon. Groceries flip the comparison at $346 vs $269, 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 52% in total monthly costs ($1,491 vs $2,263 including rent). Sala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Sala pays 62% 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: $774 in Sala versus $1,621 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $146 in Sala versus $608 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 29% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $1,491 in Sala versus $2,263 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 52% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.