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: $2,347 in Skien versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,223 in Skien versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,098 in Skien versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Skien is roughly 2% more expensive than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Skien 76% above, Lisbon 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.93 NOK 279

$16.19 €14.15

78.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.7 NOK 960

$63.3 €55.3

57.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.15 NOK 127

$10.32 €9.02

27.42%

Cappuccino

$4.94 NOK 47.62

$2.83 €2.47

74.56%

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

$2.52 NOK 24.29

$2.29 €2.00

10.04%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.23 NOK 21.47

$1.58 €1.38

41.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.22 NOK 88.8

$3.40 €2.97

171.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.88 NOK 95.1

$4.03 €3.52

145.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 NOK 18.66

$1.09 €0.95

77.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.41 NOK 32.87

$1.75 €1.53

94.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 NOK 32.08

$1.76 €1.54

89.20%

Eggs

$4.22 NOK 40.61

$3.17 €2.77

33.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.58 NOK 112

$13.19 €11.53

-12.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.14 NOK 136

$7.97 €6.96

77.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$25.44 NOK 245

$15.53 €13.57

63.81%

Apples (1kg)

$3.75 NOK 36.11

$2.37 €2.07

58.23%

Banana (1kg)

$2.26 NOK 21.73

$1.71 €1.49

32.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 NOK 31.45

$2.01 €1.75

62.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 NOK 38.72

$2.43 €2.12

65.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.22 NOK 21.41

$1.76 €1.54

26.14%

Onion (1kg)

$2.12 NOK 20.39

$2.03 €1.78

4.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.00 NOK 28.87

$1.92 €1.68

56.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 NOK 18.24

$0.85 €0.74

122.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$19.24 NOK 185

$6.58 €5.75

192.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.31 NOK 147

$5.58 €4.87

174.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.29 NOK 31.72

$1.33 €1.16

147.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 NOK 37.16

$2.97 €2.60

29.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.67 NOK 25.73

$2.28 €1.99

17.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$43.34 NOK 417

$45.79 €40.01

-5.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$35.68 NOK 344

$4.23 €3.69

743.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.45 NOK 13.92

$0.81 €0.71

79.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$100 NOK 966

$18.44 €16.11

443.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.18 NOK 20.98

$2.08 €1.82

4.81%

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

$25.6K NOK 246.8K

$34.7K €30.3K

-26.09%

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

$35.6K NOK 343.3K

$39.2K €34.2K

-8.98%

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

$98.7 NOK 950

$148 €129

-33.37%

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

$38.06 NOK 367

$20.46 €17.88

86.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.32 NOK 369

$39.56 €34.56

-3.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.33 NOK 360

$47.99 €41.93

-22.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$35.73 NOK 344

$18.60 €16.25

92.10%

Cinema Ticket

$13.95 NOK 134

$9.22 €8.06

51.30%

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

$307 NOK 2,954

$616 €538

-50.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K NOK 98.3K

$16.4K €14.4K

-37.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.71 NOK 382

$103 €89.7

-61.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.38 NOK 341

$41.74 €36.47

-15.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.2 NOK 868

$94.8 €82.8

-4.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 NOK 1,463

$122 €107

24.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$971 NOK 9,355

$1,633 €1,426

-40.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$976 NOK 9,397

$1,232 €1,077

-20.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 NOK 10.8K

$3,098 €2,707

-63.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$914 NOK 8,807

$2,031 €1,775

-54.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,335 NOK 32.1K

$7,831 €6,842

-57.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,041 NOK 29.3K

$4,389 €3,835

-30.71%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,036 NOK 38.9K

$1,607 €1,404

151.10%

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: July 12, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $971 in Skien and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Skien pays 151% 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: $100 in Skien vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $431 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

Skien vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Skien and Lisbon differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,347 vs $2,291 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 151% higher in Skien, 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: $971 in Skien versus $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $307 in Skien versus $616 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 61% higher in Skien. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,291 in Lisbon versus $2,347 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 2% less than in Skien. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.