Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ismailia and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Ismailia: $330 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Ismailia
🇪🇬 Egypt
$330
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $330 in Ismailia versus $2,202 in Lisbon.

  • Ismailia $330
  • Lisbon $2,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $561 in Ismailia versus $3,274 in Lisbon.

  • Ismailia $561
  • Lisbon $3,274

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $792 in Ismailia versus $4,346 in Lisbon.

  • Ismailia $792
  • Lisbon $4,346

Living in Ismailia costs roughly 85% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ismailia is 76% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Ismailia
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.30 E£176
$17.04 €15.15
-80.63%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.58 E£778
$62.3 €55.4
-76.59%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$3.76 E£201
$11.02 €9.80
-65.88%
Cappuccino
$1.04 E£55.5
$3.12 €2.78
-66.67%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.30 E£15.91
$2.27 €2.02
-86.78%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.13 E£6.85
$1.74 €1.55
-92.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.32 E£70.6
$3.42 €3.04
-61.40%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.80 E£96.0
$3.74 €3.33
-51.87%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Ismailia
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.79 E£42.30
$1.17 €1.04
-32.48%
White Bread (500g)
$0.36 E£19.07
$1.86 €1.66
-80.65%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$0.60 E£32.12
$1.54 €1.37
-61.04%
Eggs
$1.15 E£61.5
$4.06 €3.61
-71.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$3.49 E£186
$12.91 €11.49
-72.97%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.98 E£213
$7.90 €7.03
-49.62%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$6.95 E£371
$17.64 €15.69
-60.60%
Apples (1kg)
$1.45 E£77.3
$2.26 €2.01
-35.84%
Banana (1kg)
$0.54 E£29.05
$1.75 €1.55
-69.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$0.41 E£22.01
$1.89 €1.68
-78.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.31 E£16.79
$2.56 €2.27
-87.89%
Potato (1kg)
$0.26 E£13.89
$1.85 €1.64
-85.95%
Onion (1kg)
$0.32 E£17.12
$1.97 €1.75
-83.76%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.23 E£12.31
$1.45 €1.29
-84.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.20 E£10.67
$0.77 €0.69
-74.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.86 E£99.5
$6.71 €5.97
-72.28%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.48 E£293
$5.67 €5.04
-3.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.04 E£55.4
$1.37 €1.22
-24.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.89 E£101
$2.11 €1.88
-10.43%
🚌 Getting Around
Ismailia
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.23 E£12.26
$2.32 €2.07
-90.09%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$3.77 E£201
$44.43 €39.52
-91.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.39 E£20.60
$3.95 €3.51
-90.13%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.48 E£25.72
$1.05 €0.93
-54.29%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$1.13 E£60.2
$17.15 €15.26
-93.41%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.42 E£22.18
$2.19 €1.95
-80.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.6K E£1.5M
$33.8K €30.0K
-18.18%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$14.6K E£780.2K
$38.3K €34.0K
-61.82%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ismailia
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$13.94 E£744
$164 €146
-91.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$6.66 E£355
$18.48 €16.43
-63.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$7.33 E£391
$32.96 €29.32
-77.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Ismailia
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$9.65 E£515
$45.87 €40.80
-78.96%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.42 E£984
$18.68 €16.61
-1.39%
Cinema Ticket
$1.82 E£97.4
$9.75 €8.67
-81.33%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Ismailia
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$65.6 E£3,502
$684 €608
-90.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,171 E£62.5K
$17.6K €15.7K
-93.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Ismailia
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$12.92 E£690
$104 €92.3
-87.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$9.19 E£491
$46.20 €41.09
-80.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$127 E£6,764
$99.7 €88.7
27.02%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$27.53 E£1,470
$125 €111
-77.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Ismailia
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$78.3 E£4,181
$1,589 €1,414
-95.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$31.44 E£1,679
$1,169 €1,040
-97.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$120 E£6,414
$2,851 €2,536
-95.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$75.2 E£4,017
$1,993 €1,773
-96.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$458 E£24.5K
$7,793 €6,932
-94.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$131 E£6,984
$4,418 €3,930
-97.04%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Ismailia
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$101 E£5,387
$1,600 €1,423
-93.69%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
21.33
3.85
454.03%

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

Last update for Ismailia: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Ismailia
$108
Lisbon
$273 153% $165
Clothing & Footwear
Ismailia
$79
Lisbon
$168 112% $89
Eating Out
Ismailia
$62
Lisbon
$247 299% $185
Accommodation & Living
Ismailia
$31
Lisbon
$1.2K 3618% $1.1K
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Ismailia
$28
Lisbon
$215 671% $187
Sport & Entertainment
Ismailia
$13
Lisbon
$65 392% $52
Getting Around
Ismailia
$7.5
Lisbon
$63 741% $55

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $78.3 in Ismailia and $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 1486% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $15.00 in Ismailia vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $108 vs $273 per month, with Ismailia cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇪🇬 Ismailia
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
23:16 11:16 PM
21:16 9:16 PM
2 h behind Ismailia
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
352,000
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to EGP – Egyptian Pound Converter

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Ismailia Lisbon 3,860 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Ismailia
  • 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
Ismailia vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Ismailia or Lisbon?
Ismailia wins on cost – living expenses run 568% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ismailia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Ismailia or in Lisbon?
On paper, salaries run 1486% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Ismailia compared to Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $78.3 in Ismailia versus $1,589 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Ismailia and in Lisbon?
Childcare runs $65.6 in Ismailia versus $684 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Are groceries more expensive in Ismailia or in Lisbon?
Supermarket bills run roughly 153% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Ismailia or in Lisbon?
At $330 in Ismailia versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ismailia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ismailia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Ismailia or Lisbon?
Both work as nomad bases, but Ismailia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $330 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ismailia hard to pass up.
How safe is Ismailia compared to Lisbon?
Safety-wise, Ismailia 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Ismailia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 568% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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