Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chennai (Madras) and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Chennai (Madras): $414 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Chennai (Madras)
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Chennai (Madras) Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Chennai (Madras)

🇮🇳 India

$414

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $414 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $2,223 in Lisbon, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $414
Lisbon $2,223

A couple spends around $693 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $3,271 in Lisbon, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $693
Lisbon $3,271

A family of three spends $973 per month in Chennai (Madras) vs $4,319 in Lisbon, rent included.

Chennai (Madras) $973
Lisbon $4,319

Chennai (Madras) is about 81% cheaper than Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Chennai (Madras) sits 69% below the global median, while Lisbon is 65% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.06 ₹196

$16.50 €14.67

-87.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.41 ₹1,179

$61.3 €54.5

-79.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.25 ₹404

$11.27 €10.03

-62.29%

Cappuccino

$1.81 ₹172

$3.06 €2.72

-40.85%

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

$0.36 ₹34.57

$2.26 €2.01

-84.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 ₹16.64

$1.73 €1.54

-89.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.56 ₹148

$3.39 €3.02

-53.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 ₹289

$3.40 €3.02

-10.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.56 ₹53.4

$1.12 €1.00

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 ₹51.6

$1.86 €1.65

-70.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.74 ₹70.2

$1.53 €1.36

-51.63%

Eggs

$0.82 ₹77.9

$3.96 €3.53

-79.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.06 ₹575

$12.76 €11.35

-52.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.23 ₹307

$7.90 €7.02

-59.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 ₹275

$2.27 €2.02

27.31%

Banana (1kg)

$0.80 ₹76.2

$1.75 €1.55

-54.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ₹133

$1.85 €1.64

-24.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.70

$2.57 €2.28

-83.27%

Potato (1kg)

$0.45 ₹42.42

$1.86 €1.65

-75.81%

Onion (1kg)

$0.43 ₹40.45

$2.02 €1.80

-78.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.52 ₹49.61

$1.44 €1.28

-63.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ₹26.44

$0.82 €0.73

-65.85%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.14 ₹488

$6.56 €5.83

-21.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.52 ₹714

$5.62 €5.00

33.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 ₹176

$1.28 €1.14

44.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 ₹254

$2.07 €1.84

29.47%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$6.78 ₹644

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₹28.41

$2.35 €2.09

-87.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.31 ₹979

$44.18 €39.30

-76.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.07 ₹102

$3.99 €3.55

-73.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.32 ₹30.55

$1.09 €0.97

-70.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ₹204

$16.64 €14.81

-87.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 ₹104

$2.28 €2.03

-52.19%

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

$15.5K ₹1.5M

$33.7K €30.0K

-54.02%

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

$19.7K ₹1.9M

$39.3K €35.0K

-49.91%

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

$38.87 ₹3,691

$167 €149

-76.79%

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

$4.07 ₹387

$18.80 €16.72

-78.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.93 ₹753

$33.09 €29.43

-76.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$12.80 ₹1,216

$46.01 €40.93

-72.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.83 ₹648

$19.19 €17.07

-64.41%

Cinema Ticket

$2.56 ₹243

$9.84 €8.75

-73.98%

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

$86.7 ₹8,229

$677 €602

-87.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,119 ₹201.2K

$16.9K €15.1K

-87.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.39 ₹1,936

$101 €90.1

-79.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.65 ₹1,581

$45.76 €40.70

-63.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$35.60 ₹3,381

$100.0 €88.9

-64.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.60 ₹2,906

$123 €109

-75.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$181 ₹17.2K

$1,614 €1,436

-88.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 ₹9,611

$1,197 €1,065

-91.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$506 ₹48.0K

$2,862 €2,545

-82.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$300 ₹28.5K

$1,990 €1,770

-84.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,083 ₹197.8K

$7,577 €6,740

-72.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$797 ₹75.6K

$4,307 €3,831

-81.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$654 ₹62.1K

$1,588 €1,412

-58.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.99

3.85

159.48%

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

Last update for Chennai (Madras): October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Chennai (Madras)

$116 28%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 133% $154

Accommodation & Living

Chennai (Madras)

$101 24.5%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 1083% $1.1K

Eating Out

Chennai (Madras)

$67 16.2%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 262% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chennai (Madras)

$51 12.3%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 331% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Chennai (Madras)

$46 11.2%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 258% $120

Sport & Entertainment

Chennai (Madras)

$18 4.3%

Lisbon

$66 3% 267% $48

Getting Around

Chennai (Madras)

$14 3.4%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 344% $49

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $181 in Chennai (Madras) versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 143% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $12.00 in Chennai (Madras) versus $61.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $116 vs $269 – making Chennai (Madras) the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇮🇳 Chennai (Madras)

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

03:39 3:39 AM

4 h 30 min behind Chennai (Madras)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,681,087

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Indian Rupee INR ₹

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 INR = 10.53 USD

1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to INR – Indian Rupee Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇳 Indian Rupee (₹)

Indian Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 94.96 INR (100 INR = 1.05 USD). 1 EUR = 107 INR (1,000 INR = 9.37 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to INR in detail →

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Between locations

Chennai (Madras) Lisbon 9,050 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Chennai (Madras)
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

Chennai (Madras) vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 438% more than Chennai (Madras), and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $620 per month in Chennai (Madras) and $3,335 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Chennai (Madras), especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $414 in Chennai (Madras) and $2,223 in Lisbon. That's a gap of about 438%.

Public transport costs about 329% less in Chennai (Madras). For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Chennai (Madras), where all-in costs run around $414, than in Lisbon at $2,223. In Chennai (Madras) it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Chennai (Madras) costs $414 versus $2,223 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Chennai (Madras). If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.