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: $494 in Kathmandu versus $2,291 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $789 in Kathmandu versus $3,322 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,085 in Kathmandu versus $4,354 in Lisbon.

Living in Kathmandu costs roughly 78% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kathmandu is 63% below, Lisbon is 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.86 NPR 287

$16.19 €14.18

-88.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.98 NPR 2,927

$63.3 €55.5

-70.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.56 NPR 1,012

$10.32 €9.04

-36.43%

Cappuccino

$1.84 NPR 283

$2.83 €2.48

-34.98%

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

$0.54 NPR 83.6

$2.29 €2.01

-76.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.18 NPR 27.07

$1.58 €1.38

-88.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.66 NPR 410

$3.40 €2.98

-21.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.54 NPR 546

$4.03 €3.53

-12.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 NPR 133

$1.09 €0.96

-21.10%

White Bread (500g)

$0.54 NPR 84.0

$1.75 €1.53

-69.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 NPR 156

$1.76 €1.54

-42.61%

Eggs

$1.79 NPR 275

$3.17 €2.77

-43.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.75 NPR 1,349

$13.19 €11.56

-33.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.10 NPR 479

$7.97 €6.98

-61.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.10 NPR 940

$15.53 €13.60

-60.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 NPR 349

$2.37 €2.07

-4.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.04 NPR 160

$1.71 €1.49

-39.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.25 NPR 193

$2.01 €1.76

-37.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.70 NPR 108

$2.43 €2.13

-71.19%

Potato (1kg)

$0.49 NPR 75.0

$1.76 €1.54

-72.16%

Onion (1kg)

$0.73 NPR 113

$2.03 €1.78

-64.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 NPR 74.9

$1.92 €1.68

-74.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.27 NPR 42.08

$0.85 €0.74

-68.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.84 NPR 438

$6.58 €5.76

-56.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.66 NPR 1,335

$5.58 €4.89

55.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 NPR 365

$1.33 €1.17

78.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 NPR 498

$2.97 €2.60

8.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.23 NPR 35.61

$2.28 €1.99

-89.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.07 NPR 1,708

$45.79 €40.10

-75.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.23 NPR 344

$4.23 €3.70

-47.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 NPR 165

$0.81 €0.71

32.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.68 NPR 568

$18.44 €16.15

-80.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 NPR 189

$2.08 €1.82

-40.87%

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

$31.6K NPR 4.9M

$34.7K €30.4K

-8.85%

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

$40.6K NPR 6.3M

$39.2K €34.3K

3.77%

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

$32.99 NPR 5,088

$148 €130

-77.72%

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

$4.73 NPR 730

$20.46 €17.92

-76.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.72 NPR 1,500

$39.56 €34.64

-75.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.35 NPR 3,447

$47.99 €42.03

-53.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.18 NPR 1,107

$18.60 €16.29

-61.40%

Cinema Ticket

$3.24 NPR 500

$9.22 €8.08

-64.86%

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

$89.5 NPR 13.8K

$616 €540

-85.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,834 NPR 591.2K

$16.4K €14.4K

-76.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.49 NPR 3,777

$103 €90.0

-76.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.56 NPR 4,250

$41.74 €36.55

-33.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.3 NPR 8,988

$94.8 €83.0

-38.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.85 NPR 5,991

$122 €107

-68.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$194 NPR 29.9K

$1,633 €1,430

-88.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$100 NPR 15.5K

$1,232 €1,079

-91.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 NPR 52.7K

$3,098 €2,713

-88.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$188 NPR 29.0K

$2,031 €1,779

-90.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,271 NPR 350.2K

$7,831 €6,858

-71.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,322 NPR 203.8K

$4,389 €3,844

-69.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$277 NPR 42.8K

$1,607 €1,408

-82.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.08

3.81

217.06%

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

Last update for Kathmandu: July 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $194 in Kathmandu and $1,633 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 479% 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: $19.00 in Kathmandu vs $63.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $155 vs $267 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 364% 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 479% 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: $194 in Kathmandu versus $1,633 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 $19.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $494 per month in Kathmandu versus $2,291 in Lisbon – a 364% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $494 in Kathmandu versus $2,291 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 $494 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 364% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.