Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Kathmandu and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $484 in Kathmandu versus $2,316 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $773 in Kathmandu versus $3,361 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,063 in Kathmandu versus $4,405 in Lisbon.

Living in Kathmandu costs roughly 79% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kathmandu is 65% below, Lisbon is 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.94 NPR 294

$17.30 €14.87

-88.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$20.08 NPR 3,037

$63.3 €54.4

-68.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.74 NPR 1,020

$11.39 €9.79

-40.83%

Cappuccino

$1.54 NPR 234

$3.19 €2.74

-51.72%

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

$0.56 NPR 84.4

$2.45 €2.10

-77.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 NPR 23.02

$1.76 €1.52

-91.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.23 NPR 489

$3.59 €3.09

-10.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 NPR 556

$3.39 €2.92

8.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.76 NPR 115

$1.24 €1.06

-38.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.63 NPR 95.2

$1.98 €1.71

-68.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.86 NPR 130

$1.52 €1.31

-43.42%

Eggs

$1.69 NPR 256

$4.04 €3.47

-58.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.26 NPR 1,098

$13.54 €11.64

-46.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.40 NPR 515

$8.39 €7.21

-59.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.21 NPR 788

$18.25 €15.69

-71.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 NPR 313

$2.29 €1.97

-9.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.15 NPR 174

$1.74 €1.50

-33.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.41 NPR 213

$1.86 €1.60

-24.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.57 NPR 86.7

$2.63 €2.26

-78.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 NPR 58.1

$1.92 €1.65

-80.21%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 NPR 78.0

$2.09 €1.80

-75.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 NPR 74.6

$1.44 €1.24

-65.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.25 NPR 37.97

$0.84 €0.72

-70.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.70 NPR 408

$6.78 €5.83

-60.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.94 NPR 1,201

$5.71 €4.91

39.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 NPR 337

$1.38 €1.18

61.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 NPR 454

$2.22 €1.91

35.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.19 NPR 29.43

$2.40 €2.06

-92.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.11 NPR 1,529

$46.78 €40.22

-78.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 NPR 305

$4.17 €3.59

-51.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 NPR 203

$1.14 €0.98

17.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.32 NPR 503

$17.68 €15.20

-81.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 NPR 213

$2.32 €2.00

-39.22%

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

$29.4K NPR 4.4M

$35.3K €30.4K

-16.74%

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

$36.6K NPR 5.5M

$41.4K €35.6K

-11.72%

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

$31.68 NPR 4,792

$170 €146

-81.40%

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

$3.38 NPR 511

$19.34 €16.62

-82.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.12 NPR 1,228

$33.64 €28.92

-75.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.51 NPR 3,405

$48.10 €41.35

-53.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.01 NPR 1,060

$19.90 €17.11

-64.77%

Cinema Ticket

$2.98 NPR 451

$9.92 €8.53

-69.96%

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

$67.1 NPR 10.1K

$717 €617

-90.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,824 NPR 729.6K

$17.5K €15.0K

-72.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.37 NPR 3,989

$105 €90.1

-74.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.67 NPR 4,336

$46.95 €40.36

-38.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.9 NPR 9,965

$103 €88.9

-36.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.44 NPR 4,604

$124 €107

-75.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$221 NPR 33.4K

$1,677 €1,441

-86.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$104 NPR 15.7K

$1,271 €1,093

-91.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$439 NPR 66.4K

$2,985 €2,566

-85.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$204 NPR 30.8K

$1,992 €1,713

-89.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,289 NPR 346.2K

$7,826 €6,728

-70.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,332 NPR 201.5K

$4,658 €4,004

-71.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$275 NPR 41.5K

$1,583 €1,361

-82.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.72

3.79

156.46%

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

Last update for Kathmandu: August 29, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $221 in Kathmandu and $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 476% 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: $20.00 in Kathmandu vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $144 vs $283 per month, with Kathmandu 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

Kathmandu vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kathmandu wins on cost – living expenses run 379% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kathmandu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 476% 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: $221 in Kathmandu versus $1,677 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kathmandu – a meal for two runs $20.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $484 per month in Kathmandu versus $2,316 in Lisbon – a 379% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $484 in Kathmandu versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kathmandu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kathmandu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kathmandu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $484 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kathmandu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Kathmandu 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 Kathmandu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 379% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.