Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Vaasa and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Vaasa: $1,868 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Lisbon outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

Vaasa
🇫🇮 Finland
$1,868
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,868 in Vaasa versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Vaasa $1,868
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,778 in Vaasa versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Vaasa $2,778
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,687 in Vaasa versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Vaasa $3,687
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Vaasa costs roughly 15% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Vaasa 38% above, Lisbon 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Vaasa
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.62 €13.90
$17.04 €15.15
-8.33%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.3 €75.9
$62.3 €55.4
36.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.00 €8.90
$11.02 €9.80
-9.26%
Cappuccino
$4.90 €4.36
$3.12 €2.78
57.05%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.11 €3.65
$2.27 €2.02
81.06%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.89 €3.46
$1.74 €1.55
123.56%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.17 €7.27
$3.42 €3.04
138.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.91 €7.93
$3.74 €3.33
138.24%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Vaasa
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 €1.41
$1.17 €1.04
35.90%
White Bread (500g)
$3.18 €2.83
$1.86 €1.66
70.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.16 €3.70
$1.54 €1.37
170.13%
Eggs
$3.60 €3.20
$4.06 €3.61
-11.33%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.85 €7.88
$12.91 €11.49
-31.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.06 €10.72
$7.90 €7.03
52.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.49 €19.12
$17.64 €15.69
21.83%
Apples (1kg)
$2.65 €2.35
$2.26 €2.01
17.26%
Banana (1kg)
$2.29 €2.04
$1.75 €1.55
30.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.83 €2.51
$1.89 €1.68
49.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.57 €4.06
$2.56 €2.27
78.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.30 €1.16
$1.85 €1.64
-29.73%
Onion (1kg)
$1.90 €1.69
$1.97 €1.75
-3.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.84 €2.53
$1.45 €1.29
95.86%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$3.76 €3.35
$0.77 €0.69
388.31%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$14.68 €13.06
$6.71 €5.97
118.78%
Wine (Bottle)
$12.43 €11.06
$5.67 €5.04
119.22%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.93 €2.61
$1.37 €1.22
113.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.00 €3.55
$2.11 €1.88
89.57%
🚌 Getting Around
Vaasa
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.10 €1.87
$2.32 €2.07
-9.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$39.91 €35.50
$44.43 €39.52
-10.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$11.88 €10.56
$3.95 €3.51
200.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.36 €1.21
$1.05 €0.93
29.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$91.0 €81.0
$17.15 €15.26
430.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.11 €1.87
$2.19 €1.95
-3.65%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.8K €32.7K
$33.8K €30.0K
8.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$38.3K €34.0K
-11.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vaasa
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$256 €228
$164 €146
56.41%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$36.89 €32.82
$18.48 €16.43
99.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$38.15 €33.93
$32.96 €29.32
15.75%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Vaasa
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.55 €35.18
$45.87 €40.80
-13.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$17.72 €15.77
$18.68 €16.61
-5.14%
Cinema Ticket
$14.36 €12.78
$9.75 €8.67
47.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Vaasa
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$423 €376
$684 €608
-38.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$17.6K €15.7K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Vaasa
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$81.7 €72.6
$104 €92.3
-21.29%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$22.20 €19.75
$46.20 €41.09
-51.95%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$66.7 €59.3
$99.7 €88.7
-33.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$126 €112
$125 €111
1.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Vaasa
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$734 €653
$1,589 €1,414
-53.80%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$561 €499
$1,169 €1,040
-52.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,039 €924
$2,851 €2,536
-63.54%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$794 €707
$1,993 €1,773
-60.14%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,721 €2,420
$7,793 €6,932
-65.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,220 €1,975
$4,418 €3,930
-49.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Vaasa
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,640 €3,237
$1,600 €1,423
127.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.27
3.85
36.88%

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

Last update for Vaasa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Vaasa
$561
Lisbon
$1.2K 109% $609
Groceries & Markets
Vaasa
$403
Lisbon
$273 32.2% $130
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Vaasa
$331
Lisbon
$215 35% $116
Eating Out
Vaasa
$305
Lisbon
$247 18.7% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Vaasa
$134
Lisbon
$168 26.1% $35
Sport & Entertainment
Vaasa
$68
Lisbon
$65 4.3% $2.9
Getting Around
Vaasa
$67
Lisbon
$63 6.1% $4.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $734 in Vaasa and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Vaasa pays 127% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Vaasa vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $273 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇫🇮 Vaasa
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
13:16 1:16 PM
11:16 11:16 AM
2 h behind Vaasa
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
70,374
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Vaasa Lisbon 3,400 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Vaasa
  • 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
Vaasa vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Vaasa and in Lisbon?
Vaasa and Lisbon differ by about 18% in total monthly costs ($1,868 vs $2,202 including rent). Vaasa is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Vaasa or Lisbon?
Average pay runs 127% higher in Vaasa, 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 Vaasa and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $734 in Vaasa versus $1,589 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 Vaasa and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $423 in Vaasa versus $684 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 48% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,868 in Vaasa versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Vaasa but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Vaasa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Vaasa 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 Vaasa or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Vaasa 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.
Where should expats move: Vaasa or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Vaasa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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