Cost of Living Comparison Between Skien and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Skien and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,282 in Skien versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,202 in Skien versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,122 in Skien versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Skien is roughly 3% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Skien 70% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.96 NOK 269

$15.91 €13.69

82.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 NOK 935

$64.8 €55.7

55.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.26 NOK 123

$10.51 €9.04

26.17%

Cappuccino

$4.88 NOK 45.35

$2.87 €2.47

70.03%

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

$2.47 NOK 22.94

$2.24 €1.93

10.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 NOK 20.38

$1.50 €1.29

46.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.05 NOK 84.0

$3.49 €3.00

159.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 NOK 89.8

$3.88 €3.34

149.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 NOK 18.73

$1.14 €0.98

77.19%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 NOK 30.67

$1.75 €1.51

88.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.15 NOK 29.30

$1.76 €1.51

78.98%

Eggs

$4.20 NOK 39.01

$3.22 €2.77

30.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.36 NOK 106

$13.49 €11.61

-15.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.22 NOK 132

$7.91 €6.81

79.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.44 NOK 236

$15.87 €13.65

60.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 NOK 34.89

$2.31 €1.99

62.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 NOK 21.55

$1.70 €1.46

36.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 NOK 30.63

$2.01 €1.73

64.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 37.36

$2.46 €2.12

63.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.29 NOK 21.26

$1.84 €1.59

24.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 NOK 20.07

$2.00 €1.72

8.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 NOK 27.36

$1.93 €1.66

52.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 17.55

$0.79 €0.68

139.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.86 NOK 175

$6.61 €5.68

185.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.87 NOK 147

$5.72 €4.92

177.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.33 NOK 30.97

$1.37 €1.17

143.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.95 NOK 36.67

$2.97 €2.56

33.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.69 NOK 25.02

$2.37 €2.04

13.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.33 NOK 412

$45.56 €39.19

-2.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$36.08 NOK 335

$4.29 €3.69

741.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.46 NOK 13.57

$0.82 €0.70

78.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$99.7 NOK 926

$18.30 €15.74

444.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 NOK 19.41

$2.06 €1.78

1.46%

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

$25.7K NOK 238.9K

$34.3K €29.5K

-24.97%

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

$35.8K NOK 332.2K

$39.3K €33.8K

-8.98%

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

$96.6 NOK 897

$148 €127

-34.67%

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

$37.34 NOK 347

$20.52 €17.65

81.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.51 NOK 358

$39.61 €34.08

-2.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.00 NOK 353

$47.85 €41.16

-20.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.76 NOK 323

$18.92 €16.28

83.72%

Cinema Ticket

$14.39 NOK 134

$9.18 €7.90

56.75%

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

$312 NOK 2,900

$614 €528

-49.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K NOK 93.9K

$16.0K €13.8K

-37.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.85 NOK 380

$105 €90.0

-60.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.21 NOK 327

$42.06 €36.18

-16.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.8 NOK 862

$94.0 €80.8

-1.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$153 NOK 1,421

$120 €103

27.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$961 NOK 8,931

$1,628 €1,400

-40.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,000 NOK 9,291

$1,255 €1,080

-20.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,101 NOK 10.2K

$3,030 €2,607

-63.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$902 NOK 8,381

$2,020 €1,738

-55.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,561 NOK 33.1K

$7,800 €6,709

-54.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,271 NOK 30.4K

$4,273 €3,675

-23.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,269 NOK 39.7K

$1,603 €1,379

166.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.8

3.81

-0.26%

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

Last update for Skien: June 2, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $961 in Skien and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skien pays 166% 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: $101 in Skien vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $432 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

Skien vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skien and Lisbon differ by about 3% in total monthly costs ($2,282 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Skien pays 166% 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: $961 in Skien versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $312 in Skien 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 60% higher in Skien. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $2,282 in Skien, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Skien. 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, Skien 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 3% less than in Skien. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.