Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandnes and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Sandnes and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,546 in Sandnes versus $2,280 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,939 in Sandnes versus $3,294 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,332 in Sandnes versus $4,307 in Lisbon.

Living in Sandnes is roughly 12% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sandnes 91% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.71 NOK 272

$15.75 €13.64

82.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 NOK 1,145

$63.5 €55.0

90.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.34 NOK 127

$10.45 €9.05

27.66%

Cappuccino

$5.11 NOK 48.45

$2.91 €2.52

75.60%

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

$3.45 NOK 32.72

$2.29 €1.98

50.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 NOK 26.59

$1.50 €1.30

86.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.94 NOK 94.2

$3.56 €3.09

179.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.28 NOK 97.5

$3.96 €3.43

159.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.10 NOK 19.95

$1.08 €0.94

94.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 31.33

$1.76 €1.53

87.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.16 NOK 29.92

$1.70 €1.47

85.88%

Eggs

$4.30 NOK 40.75

$3.25 €2.81

32.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.83 NOK 122

$13.25 €11.47

-3.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 NOK 135

$7.70 €6.67

84.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$36.40 NOK 345

$15.77 €13.66

130.82%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 NOK 34.28

$2.28 €1.97

58.33%

Banana (1kg)

$2.52 NOK 23.86

$1.66 €1.43

51.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.08 NOK 29.18

$2.02 €1.75

52.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 NOK 45.09

$2.47 €2.14

92.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.18 NOK 20.63

$1.79 €1.55

21.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 NOK 21.39

$2.07 €1.79

9.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.75 NOK 26.06

$1.97 €1.71

39.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 NOK 17.62

$0.83 €0.72

124.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.29 NOK 145

$6.55 €5.68

133.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.73 NOK 159

$5.57 €4.82

200.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 NOK 30.42

$1.33 €1.15

141.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.99 NOK 37.83

$3.01 €2.60

32.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.24 NOK 40.23

$2.27 €1.97

86.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.6 NOK 660

$46.35 €40.14

50.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$15.23 NOK 144

$4.23 €3.66

260.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NOK 19.69

$0.85 €0.73

144.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$46.78 NOK 444

$18.83 €16.31

148.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.12 NOK 20.10

$2.02 €1.75

4.95%

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

$34.0K NOK 322.6K

$35.0K €30.3K

-2.70%

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

$32.2K NOK 305.4K

$39.6K €34.3K

-18.76%

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

$220 NOK 2,084

$148 €128

48.54%

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

$43.97 NOK 417

$20.52 €17.77

114.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.9 NOK 748

$39.52 €34.23

99.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.31 NOK 468

$48.17 €41.72

2.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$51.0 NOK 484

$18.39 €15.92

177.49%

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 NOK 170

$9.10 €7.88

96.81%

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

$323 NOK 3,060

$615 €532

-47.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,185 NOK 87.1K

$16.3K €14.1K

-43.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$118 NOK 1,118

$102 €88.0

16.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.1 NOK 570

$42.09 €36.45

42.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 NOK 1,011

$92.3 €79.9

15.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$162 NOK 1,532

$122 €106

32.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 NOK 11.8K

$1,612 €1,396

-22.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$880 NOK 8,346

$1,254 €1,086

-29.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,657 NOK 15.7K

$3,069 €2,658

-46.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,465 NOK 13.9K

$2,037 €1,764

-28.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,921 NOK 65.6K

$7,751 €6,712

-10.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,018 NOK 38.1K

$4,286 €3,712

-6.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,553 NOK 33.7K

$1,602 €1,387

121.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.4

3.81

15.49%

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

Last update for Sandnes: July 26, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,241 in Sandnes and $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sandnes pays 122% 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: $121 in Sandnes vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $474 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

Sandnes vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sandnes and Lisbon differ by about 12% in total monthly costs ($2,546 vs $2,280 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 122% higher in Sandnes, 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: $1,241 in Sandnes versus $1,612 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $323 in Sandnes versus $615 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 78% higher in Sandnes. 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, Sandnes 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 12% less than in Sandnes. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.