Cost of Living Comparison Between Uppsala and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Uppsala and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,064 in Uppsala versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,190 in Uppsala versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,315 in Uppsala versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Uppsala costs roughly 9% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Uppsala 50% above, Lisbon 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.46 SEK 150

$17.55 €15.12

-11.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.3 SEK 817

$64.5 €55.6

30.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 SEK 102

$11.65 €10.04

-9.36%

Cappuccino

$5.02 SEK 48.67

$3.26 €2.81

53.99%

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

$3.27 SEK 31.65

$2.49 €2.15

31.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 SEK 24.42

$1.67 €1.44

50.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.25 SEK 80.0

$3.47 €2.99

137.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.59 SEK 103

$3.58 €3.08

195.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.90 SEK 18.38

$1.18 €1.02

61.02%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 SEK 28.43

$1.95 €1.68

50.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.16 SEK 40.31

$1.56 €1.35

166.67%

Eggs

$5.27 SEK 51.1

$4.01 €3.46

31.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 SEK 102

$13.27 €11.44

-20.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.16 SEK 147

$8.42 €7.26

80.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.78 SEK 182

$18.23 €15.72

3.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 SEK 42.41

$2.32 €2.00

88.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.81 SEK 27.27

$1.73 €1.49

62.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 SEK 35.38

$1.93 €1.67

89.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.51 SEK 53.4

$2.64 €2.27

108.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 SEK 17.64

$1.90 €1.64

-4.21%

Onion (1kg)

$1.77 SEK 17.13

$2.11 €1.82

-16.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.72 SEK 26.41

$1.44 €1.24

88.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 SEK 13.24

$0.80 €0.69

71.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.24 SEK 79.9

$7.01 €6.04

17.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.53 SEK 102

$5.92 €5.11

77.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 SEK 24.37

$1.36 €1.18

84.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 SEK 25.48

$2.15 €1.85

22.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.16 SEK 40.33

$2.38 €2.05

74.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$115 SEK 1,115

$46.22 €39.85

148.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.56 SEK 53.9

$4.19 €3.61

32.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.31 SEK 12.71

$1.10 €0.95

19.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$64.4 SEK 625

$17.26 €14.88

273.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 SEK 17.55

$2.25 €1.94

-19.56%

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

$33.8K SEK 327.4K

$34.5K €29.7K

-2.00%

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

$34.1K SEK 330.8K

$41.6K €35.9K

-18.02%

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

$114 SEK 1,101

$171 €147

-33.52%

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

$18.75 SEK 182

$19.01 €16.38

-1.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.37 SEK 440

$34.28 €29.55

32.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.55 SEK 393

$49.65 €42.80

-18.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.00 SEK 242

$19.51 €16.81

28.14%

Cinema Ticket

$19.58 SEK 190

$10.10 €8.71

93.86%

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

$133 SEK 1,291

$699 €603

-80.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$95.2 SEK 923

$105 €90.2

-9.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.8 SEK 502

$47.97 €41.35

7.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.2 SEK 962

$102 €87.8

-2.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$209 SEK 2,027

$128 €111

62.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$933 SEK 9,044

$1,661 €1,432

-43.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$727 SEK 7,052

$1,228 €1,059

-40.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,822 SEK 17.7K

$2,915 €2,513

-37.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 SEK 11.3K

$2,023 €1,744

-42.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,396 SEK 52.3K

$8,129 €7,007

-33.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,710 SEK 26.3K

$4,635 €3,996

-41.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,107 SEK 30.1K

$1,619 €1,396

91.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.94

3.78

4.23%

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

Last update for Uppsala: September 8, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $933 in Uppsala and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uppsala pays 92% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $84.0 in Uppsala vs $64.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $281 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

Uppsala vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Uppsala and Lisbon differ by about 10% in total monthly costs ($2,064 vs $2,268 including rent). Uppsala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 92% higher in Uppsala, 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: $933 in Uppsala versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $133 in Uppsala versus $699 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 44% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

At $2,064 in Uppsala versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Uppsala but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Uppsala 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, Uppsala 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 Uppsala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.