Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Selfoss and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,223 a month against $3,423 in Selfoss, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Selfoss outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Selfoss

🇮🇸 Iceland

$3,423

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Selfoss and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Selfoss and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,423 in Selfoss versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Selfoss $3,423
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,440 in Selfoss versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Selfoss $2,440
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,458 in Selfoss versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Selfoss $1,458
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Selfoss is roughly 54% more expensive than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Selfoss 154% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.48 ISK 2,484

$11.27 €10.03

81.72%

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

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

$2.26 €2.01

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$12.21 ISK 1,481

$3.39 €3.02

260.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 ISK 213

$1.12 €1.00

57.14%

White Bread (500g)

$7.60 ISK 922

$1.86 €1.65

308.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.49 ISK 544

$1.53 €1.36

193.46%

Eggs

$6.43 ISK 780

$3.96 €3.53

62.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.36 ISK 2,105

$12.76 €11.35

36.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$21.64 ISK 2,624

$7.90 €7.02

173.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$33.84 ISK 4,105

$16.97 €15.09

99.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.70 ISK 327

$2.27 €2.02

18.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.60 ISK 316

$1.75 €1.55

48.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.64 ISK 320

$1.85 €1.64

42.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.07 ISK 857

$2.57 €2.28

175.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 ISK 396

$1.86 €1.65

75.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 ISK 265

$2.02 €1.80

7.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.58 ISK 435

$1.44 €1.28

148.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 ISK 166

$0.82 €0.73

67.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.69 ISK 1,903

$6.56 €5.83

139.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 ISK 141

$2.07 €1.84

-43.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

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

$33.7K €30.0K

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

$39.3K €35.0K

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

$167 €149

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

$18.80 €16.72

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

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

$677 €602

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,779 ISK 337.1K

$1,197 €1,065

132.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Selfoss: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Selfoss

–

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Groceries & Markets

Selfoss

–

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Eating Out

Selfoss

–

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Selfoss

–

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Clothing & Footwear

Selfoss

–

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Sport & Entertainment

Selfoss

–

Lisbon

$66 3%

Getting Around

Selfoss

–

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Good to know

🇮🇸 Selfoss

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

19:00 7:00 PM

20:00 8:00 PM

1 h ahead of Selfoss

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

9,000

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Icelandic Króna ISK kr

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD

1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ISK – Icelandic Króna Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇸 Icelandic Króna (kr)

Icelandic Króna exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 121 ISK (1,000 ISK = 8.24 USD). 1 EUR = 136 ISK (1,000 ISK = 7.33 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ISK in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Selfoss Lisbon 2,910 km ≈ 4 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Selfoss
Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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

Selfoss vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Selfoss and Lisbon differ by about 54% in total monthly costs ($3,423 vs $2,223 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $5,135 in Selfoss and $3,335 in Lisbon to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 93% higher in Selfoss. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,423 per month in Selfoss versus $2,223 in Lisbon – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $2,223 in Lisbon versus $3,423 in Selfoss, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Selfoss. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon 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, Selfoss 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 54% less than in Selfoss. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.