Cost of Living Comparison Between Torshavn and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Torshavn and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,255 in Torshavn versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,581 in Torshavn versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,908 in Torshavn versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Torshavn 68% above, Lisbon 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.87 FOK 147

$15.91 €13.69

43.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$140 FOK 895

$64.8 €55.7

115.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$19.96 FOK 128

$10.51 €9.04

89.91%

Cappuccino

$6.96 FOK 44.60

$2.87 €2.47

142.51%

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

$3.28 FOK 21.01

$2.24 €1.93

46.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 FOK 16.73

$1.50 €1.29

74.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.50 FOK 60.9

$3.49 €3.00

172.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.32 FOK 53.4

$3.88 €3.34

114.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 FOK 14.94

$1.14 €0.98

104.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.92 FOK 25.15

$1.75 €1.51

124.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.92 FOK 12.28

$1.76 €1.51

9.09%

Eggs

$5.62 FOK 36.02

$3.22 €2.77

74.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 FOK 80.4

$13.49 €11.61

-6.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.06 FOK 90.1

$7.91 €6.81

77.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

Apples (1kg)

$2.38 FOK 15.25

$2.31 €1.99

3.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 FOK 18.25

$1.70 €1.46

67.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 FOK 19.49

$2.01 €1.73

51.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.90 FOK 12.21

$2.46 €2.12

-22.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 FOK 18.10

$1.84 €1.59

53.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.38 FOK 21.68

$2.00 €1.72

69.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 FOK 16.33

$1.93 €1.66

32.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 FOK 17.72

$0.79 €0.68

249.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.00 FOK 70.5

$6.61 €5.68

66.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.43 FOK 79.7

$5.72 €4.92

117.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 FOK 13.62

$1.37 €1.17

54.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 FOK 19.67

$2.97 €2.56

3.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$12.19 FOK 78.2

$4.29 €3.69

184.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.13 FOK 13.65

$2.06 €1.78

3.40%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

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

$55.8K FOK 357.8K

$39.3K €33.8K

42.04%

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

$133 FOK 855

$148 €127

-9.81%

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

$40.45 FOK 259

$20.52 €17.65

97.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 FOK 423

$39.61 €34.08

66.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.14 FOK 264

$47.85 €41.16

-14.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$16.61 FOK 106

$9.18 €7.90

80.94%

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

$548 FOK 3,512

$614 €528

-10.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$150 FOK 963

$105 €90.0

43.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$60.8 FOK 390

$42.06 €36.18

44.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$166 FOK 1,065

$94.0 €80.8

76.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$224 FOK 1,434

$120 €103

87.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,124 FOK 7,204

$1,628 €1,400

-30.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$918 FOK 5,885

$1,255 €1,080

-26.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,964 FOK 12.6K

$3,030 €2,607

-35.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 FOK 9,579

$2,020 €1,738

-26.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,817 FOK 30.9K

$7,800 €6,709

-38.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,870 FOK 31.2K

$4,273 €3,675

13.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,376 FOK 15.2K

$1,603 €1,379

48.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

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

Last update for Torshavn: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,124 in Torshavn and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Torshavn pays 48% 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: $140 in Torshavn vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 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

Torshavn vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Torshavn and Lisbon differ by about 2% in total monthly costs ($2,255 vs $2,210 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Torshavn pays 48% 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: $1,124 in Torshavn versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Torshavn. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,255 per month in Torshavn versus $2,210 in Lisbon – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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, Torshavn 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 Torshavn. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.