Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Ashgabat and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,218 in Ashgabat versus $2,227 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,933 in Ashgabat versus $3,305 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,648 in Ashgabat versus $4,384 in Lisbon.

Living in Ashgabat is roughly 45% more expensive than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ashgabat 140% above, Lisbon 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$35.11 TMT 123

$16.17 €13.84

117.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.5 TMT 296

$64.6 €55.3

30.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.26 TMT 49.93

$10.38 €8.88

37.38%

Cappuccino

$7.09 TMT 24.82

$2.77 €2.37

155.96%

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

$3.33 TMT 11.64

$2.25 €1.92

48.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.88 TMT 3.09

$1.57 €1.35

-43.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.29 TMT 18.52

$3.49 €2.99

51.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$14.51 TMT 50.8

$4.00 €3.43

262.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$4.79 TMT 16.75

$1.08 €0.93

343.52%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 TMT 8.48

$1.74 €1.49

39.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.44 TMT 26.03

$1.74 €1.49

327.59%

Eggs

$6.19 TMT 21.68

$3.18 €2.72

94.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$40.14 TMT 141

$13.43 €11.50

198.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.59 TMT 65.1

$7.99 €6.84

132.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.74 TMT 65.6

$16.09 €13.77

16.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.34 TMT 18.69

$2.28 €1.95

134.21%

Banana (1kg)

$8.86 TMT 31.01

$1.72 €1.48

415.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.48 TMT 26.18

$1.94 €1.66

285.57%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.63 TMT 12.69

$2.54 €2.18

42.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 TMT 8.05

$1.83 €1.57

25.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.80 TMT 6.30

$2.04 €1.75

-11.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 TMT 6.96

$1.98 €1.69

0.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 TMT 3.81

$0.85 €0.73

28.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$25.64 TMT 89.7

$6.85 €5.87

274.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$41.19 TMT 144

$5.78 €4.94

612.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.74 TMT 16.58

$1.37 €1.18

245.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 TMT 10.28

$2.90 €2.48

1.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.15 TMT 0.53

$2.28 €1.95

-93.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.42 TMT 29.47

$46.84 €40.10

-82.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 TMT 10.20

$4.08 €3.49

-28.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 TMT 2.88

$0.82 €0.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.62 TMT 30.18

$18.27 €15.64

-52.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.42 TMT 1.47

$2.01 €1.72

-79.10%

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

$43.4K TMT 151.8K

$35.3K €30.2K

23.00%

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

$56.6K TMT 198.2K

$38.5K €32.9K

47.14%

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

$574 TMT 2,007

$145 €124

294.48%

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

$57.2 TMT 200

$20.96 €17.94

173.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$102 TMT 355

$40.05 €34.29

153.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$197 TMT 689

$48.79 €41.76

303.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.92 TMT 154

$18.69 €16.00

134.99%

Cinema Ticket

$14.21 TMT 49.72

$9.06 €7.76

56.84%

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

$22.41 TMT 78.4

$607 €519

-96.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.7K TMT 90.0K

$16.3K €14.0K

57.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 TMT 228

$105 €89.6

-37.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$121 TMT 422

$40.95 €35.06

194.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$295 TMT 1,033

$93.6 €80.1

215.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 TMT 644

$119 €101

55.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,132 TMT 3,963

$1,604 €1,373

-29.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 TMT 2,599

$1,236 €1,058

-39.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,760 TMT 6,159

$3,046 €2,607

-42.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 TMT 5,657

$2,057 €1,761

-21.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,496 TMT 12.2K

$7,709 €6,599

-54.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,865 TMT 10.0K

$4,266 €3,652

-32.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$751 TMT 2,629

$1,584 €1,356

-52.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.5

3.81

149.34%

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

Last update for Ashgabat: April 27, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,132 in Ashgabat and $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 111% 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 Ashgabat vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $668 vs $271 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

Ashgabat vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ashgabat and Lisbon differ by about 45% in total monthly costs ($3,218 vs $2,227 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 111% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,132 in Ashgabat versus $1,604 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $22.41 in Ashgabat versus $607 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 147% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,227 in Lisbon versus $3,218 in Ashgabat, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. 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, Ashgabat 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 45% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.