Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kabul and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Kabul: $500 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

25

Cost of Living Index in Kabul
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Kabul Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Kabul

🇦🇫 Afghanistan

$500

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $500 in Kabul versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

Kabul $500
Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $682 in Kabul versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

Kabul $682
Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $864 in Kabul versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

Kabul $864
Lisbon $4,319

Living in Kabul costs roughly 77% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kabul is 63% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.80 ؋182

$16.50 €14.67

-83.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$7.75 ؋502

$61.3 €54.5

-87.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.52 ؋293

$11.27 €10.02

-59.89%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ؋153

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 ؋122

Cappuccino

$1.07 ؋69.4

$3.06 €2.72

-65.03%

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

$0.48 ؋31.36

$2.26 €2.01

-78.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ؋9.98

$1.73 €1.54

-91.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 ؋53.6

$1.12 €1.00

-25.89%

White Bread (500g)

$0.25 ؋16.24

$1.86 €1.65

-86.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.80 ؋117

$1.53 €1.36

17.65%

Eggs

$1.53 ؋99.2

$3.96 €3.53

-61.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 ؋281

$12.76 €11.35

-65.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.07 ؋264

$7.90 €7.02

-48.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.71 ؋435

$16.97 €15.09

-60.46%

Apples (1kg)

$0.70 ؋45.14

$2.27 €2.02

-69.16%

Banana (1kg)

$0.85 ؋55.1

$1.75 €1.55

-51.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 ؋60.6

$1.85 €1.64

-49.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.51 ؋33.12

$2.57 €2.28

-80.16%

Potato (1kg)

$0.65 ؋42.18

$1.86 €1.65

-65.05%

Onion (1kg)

$0.47 ؋30.60

$2.02 €1.80

-76.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.28 ؋17.93

$1.44 €1.28

-80.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.37 ؋23.98

$0.82 €0.73

-54.88%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.82 ؋118

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ؋48.45

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.05 ؋68.0

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.43 ؋157

$6.56 €5.83

-62.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.16 ؋10.63

$2.35 €2.09

-93.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.99 ؋1,361

$44.18 €39.29

-52.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.14 ؋139

$3.99 €3.55

-46.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.48 ؋31.27

$1.09 €0.97

-55.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.70 ؋175

$16.64 €14.80

-83.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 ؋70.1

$2.28 €2.03

-52.63%

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

$8,472 ؋549.2K

$33.7K €30.0K

-74.84%

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

$33.8K ؋2.2M

$39.3K €34.9K

-14.01%

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

$41.65 ؋2,700

$167 €149

-75.13%

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

$12.84 ؋833

$18.80 €16.72

-31.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$96.1 ؋6,227

$33.09 €29.43

190.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.86 ؋704

$46.01 €40.92

-76.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.07 ؋264

$19.19 €17.07

-78.79%

Cinema Ticket

$2.32 ؋151

$9.84 €8.75

-76.42%

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

$19.99 ؋1,296

$677 €602

-97.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,035 ؋67.1K

$16.9K €15.0K

-93.88%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$10.80 ؋700

$101 €90.0

-89.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$15.92 ؋1,032

$45.76 €40.70

-65.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$57.1 ؋3,704

$100.0 €88.9

-42.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$25.12 ؋1,629

$123 €109

-79.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$123 ؋7,984

$1,614 €1,435

-92.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$107 ؋6,917

$1,197 €1,065

-91.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$213 ؋13.8K

$2,862 €2,545

-92.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$117 ؋7,553

$1,990 €1,770

-94.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$684 ؋44.4K

$7,577 €6,739

-90.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$352 ؋22.8K

$4,307 €3,831

-91.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$341 ؋22.1K

$1,588 €1,412

-78.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Kabul: October 11, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kabul

$151 30.1%

Lisbon

$219 9.9% 45.7% $69

Accommodation & Living

Kabul

$107 21.3%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9% 1022% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Kabul

$101 20.2%

Lisbon

$269 12.1% 167% $168

Eating Out

Kabul

$51 10.3%

Lisbon

$242 10.9% 372% $191

Clothing & Footwear

Kabul

$49 9.8%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 239% $117

Getting Around

Kabul

$26 5.2%

Lisbon

$63 2.8% 141% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Kabul

$16 3.1%

Lisbon

$66 3% 324% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $123 in Kabul and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 365% 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: $8.00 in Kabul vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $101 vs $269 per month, with Kabul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇫 Kabul

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

14:44 2:44 PM

11:14 11:14 AM

3 h 30 min behind Kabul

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,289,000 Capital

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

Afghanistan Afghani AFN ؋

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 AFN = 1.54 USD

100 AFN = 1.37 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to AFN – Afghanistan Afghani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇫 Afghanistan Afghani (؋)

Afghanistan Afghani exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 64.83 AFN (100 AFN = 1.54 USD). 1 EUR = 72.89 AFN (100 AFN = 1.37 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to AFN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kabul Lisbon 6,780 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Kabul
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

Kabul vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kabul and Lisbon differ by about 344% in total monthly costs ($500 vs $2,223 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 365% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $123 in Kabul versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kabul runs roughly 110% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $19.99 in Kabul versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $500 in Kabul versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kabul but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kabul 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, Kabul 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 Kabul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 344% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.