Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Umea and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Umea: $1,646 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $6,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Umea, Sweden
Lisbon, Portugal
Umea
🇸🇪 Sweden
$1,646
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Umea 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 Umea and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,646 in Umea versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Umea $1,646
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,615 in Umea versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Umea $2,615
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,583 in Umea versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Umea $3,583
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Umea costs roughly 26% less than in Lisbon.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Umea 21% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Umea
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.95 SEK 147
$16.65 €14.91
-10.21%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$79.0 SEK 775
$61.7 €55.3
27.97%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.93 SEK 117
$11.36 €10.17
5.02%
Cappuccino
$3.96 SEK 38.85
$2.97 €2.66
33.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15 SEK 30.92
$2.29 €2.05
37.55%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 SEK 24.24
$1.74 €1.56
41.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.62 SEK 84.6
$3.40 €3.05
153.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.44 SEK 73.0
$3.31 €2.96
124.77%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Umea
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 SEK 17.09
$1.16 €1.04
50.00%
White Bread (500g)
$3.42 SEK 33.51
$1.91 €1.71
79.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.09 SEK 40.16
$1.51 €1.35
170.86%
Eggs
$4.06 SEK 39.83
$4.02 €3.60
1.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.38 SEK 112
$12.94 €11.59
-12.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.74 SEK 105
$7.77 €6.96
38.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.82 SEK 165
$17.76 €15.91
-5.29%
Apples (1kg)
$2.58 SEK 25.33
$2.30 €2.06
12.17%
Banana (1kg)
$2.18 SEK 21.36
$1.73 €1.55
26.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.72 SEK 26.73
$1.86 €1.66
46.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.30 SEK 42.19
$2.59 €2.32
66.02%
Potato (1kg)
$1.65 SEK 16.17
$1.82 €1.63
-9.34%
Onion (1kg)
$1.69 SEK 16.56
$1.97 €1.76
-14.21%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.49 SEK 24.43
$1.47 €1.32
69.39%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 SEK 13.01
$0.72 €0.65
84.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.09 SEK 69.6
$6.58 €5.90
7.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.19 SEK 100
$5.61 €5.02
81.64%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.31 SEK 22.64
$1.36 €1.22
69.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.44 SEK 23.95
$2.14 €1.91
14.02%
🚌 Getting Around
Umea
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.89 SEK 28.36
$2.33 €2.09
24.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$57.8 SEK 567
$44.68 €40.01
29.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$7.08 SEK 69.5
$3.85 €3.45
83.90%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$4.99 SEK 48.92
$1.07 €0.96
366.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$16.46 €14.74
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.68 SEK 16.47
$2.20 €1.97
-23.64%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K SEK 331.7K
$34.2K €30.6K
-1.14%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.2K SEK 325.8K
$38.7K €34.7K
-14.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Umea
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$84.7 SEK 831
$161 €144
-47.45%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$32.54 SEK 319
$18.41 €16.49
76.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$27.49 SEK 270
$32.74 €29.32
-16.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Umea
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.29 SEK 474
$44.55 €39.90
8.40%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$35.41 SEK 347
$19.10 €17.10
85.39%
Cinema Ticket
$16.40 SEK 161
$9.60 €8.60
70.83%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Umea
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$139 SEK 1,368
$668 €598
-79.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$17.6K €15.8K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Umea
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$99.7 SEK 978
$102 €91.4
-2.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$37.16 SEK 365
$44.46 €39.82
-16.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$119 SEK 1,166
$98.5 €88.2
20.65%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$141 SEK 1,379
$124 €111
13.63%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Umea
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$742 SEK 7,280
$1,608 €1,440
-53.88%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$505 SEK 4,957
$1,190 €1,066
-57.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,104 SEK 10.8K
$2,812 €2,519
-60.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$842 SEK 8,263
$2,013 €1,803
-58.17%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$4,640 SEK 45.5K
$7,839 €7,021
-40.80%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,050 SEK 29.9K
$4,576 €4,098
-33.33%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Umea
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,692 SEK 26.4K
$1,575 €1,411
70.91%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.65
3.85
-5.19%

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

Last update for Umea: October 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Umea
$505
Lisbon
$1.2K 136% $685
Groceries & Markets
Umea
$352
Lisbon
$272 22.6% $79
Eating Out
Umea
$283
Lisbon
$243 14.4% $41
Clothing & Footwear
Umea
$178
Lisbon
$166 6.9% $12
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Umea
$145
Lisbon
$212 46.7% $68
Getting Around
Umea
$101
Lisbon
$63 37.6% $38
Sport & Entertainment
Umea
$81
Lisbon
$64 21.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $742 in Umea and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Umea pays 71% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79 in Umea vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $272 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇸🇪 Umea
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
19:09 7:09 PM
18:09 6:09 PM
1 h behind Umea
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
79,594
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to SEK – Swedish Krona Converter

Swedish Krona exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 9.81 SEK (1 SEK = 0.102 USD). 1 EUR = 10.96 SEK (100 SEK = 9.13 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Umea Lisbon 3,400 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Umea
  • 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
Umea vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city pays better: Umea or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 71% higher in Umea, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Umea and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $742 in Umea versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Umea and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $139 in Umea versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 23% less for everyday groceries. It’s an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
How far does $2,500 go in Umea compared to Lisbon?
Either city works on $2,500 a month, though Umea gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
How does quality of life compare between Umea and Lisbon?
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.
Is Umea or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Umea and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Umea vs other spots: cost of living compared

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