For one person, living is cheaper in Kota: $341 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Kota and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $341 in Kota versus $2,223 in Lisbon.
Kota $341
Lisbon $2,223
Estimated couple costs with rent: $540 in Kota versus $3,271 in Lisbon.
Kota $540
Lisbon $3,271
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $739 in Kota versus $4,319 in Lisbon.
Kota $739
Lisbon $4,319
🌍
Living in Kota 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: Kota is 75% below, Lisbon is 65% above.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Kota
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.12₹202
$16.50€14.67
-87.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$8.17₹776
$61.3€54.5
-86.66%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$2.59₹246
$11.27€10.03
-77.02%
Cappuccino
$0.63₹60.2
$3.06€2.72
-79.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.35₹33.56
$2.26€2.01
-84.51%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$0.16₹15.55
$1.73€1.54
-90.75%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$1.59₹151
$3.39€3.02
-53.10%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15₹300
$3.40€3.02
-7.35%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Kota
Lisbon
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$0.62₹58.8
$1.12€1.00
-44.64%
White Bread(500g)
$0.44₹41.74
$1.86€1.65
-76.34%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$0.67₹63.2
$1.53€1.36
-56.21%
Eggs
$0.88₹83.9
$3.96€3.53
-77.78%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$4.55₹432
$12.76€11.35
-64.34%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$2.55₹242
$7.90€7.02
-67.72%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
-
$16.97€15.09
-
Apples(1kg)
$1.55₹147
$2.27€2.02
-31.72%
Banana(1kg)
$0.52₹49.04
$1.75€1.55
-70.29%
Oranges(1kg)
$0.66₹63.2
$1.85€1.64
-64.32%
Tomato(1kg)
$0.43₹41.16
$2.57€2.28
-83.27%
Potato(1kg)
$0.32₹30.36
$1.86€1.65
-82.80%
Onion(1kg)
$0.37₹35.44
$2.02€1.80
-81.68%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.32₹30.79
$1.44€1.28
-77.78%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.28₹26.21
$0.82€0.73
-65.85%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$4.33₹411
$6.56€5.83
-33.99%
Wine(Bottle)
$7.84₹744
$5.62€5.00
39.50%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.56₹148
$1.28€1.14
21.88%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85₹176
$2.07€1.84
-10.63%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
$4.67₹444
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Kota
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.50₹47.54
$2.35€2.09
-78.72%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$26.53₹2,519
$44.18€39.30
-39.95%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$0.32₹30.43
$3.99€3.55
-91.98%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.22₹20.92
$1.09€0.97
-79.82%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$1.08₹102
$16.64€14.81
-93.51%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.11₹106
$2.28€2.03
-51.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$15.6K₹1.5M
$33.7K€30.0K
-53.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$17.0K₹1.6M
$39.3K€35.0K
-56.74%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kota
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$13.09₹1,243
$167€149
-92.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$2.53₹240
$18.80€16.72
-86.54%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$6.40₹608
$33.09€29.43
-80.66%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Kota
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$10.62₹1,008
$46.01€40.93
-76.92%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$4.11₹391
$19.19€17.07
-78.58%
Cinema Ticket
$3.17₹301
$9.84€8.75
-67.78%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Kota
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$33.56₹3,187
$677€602
-95.04%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$662₹62.9K
$16.9K€15.1K
-96.09%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Kota
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$21.88₹2,077
$101€90.1
-78.39%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.09₹3,143
$45.76€40.70
-27.69%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$34.79₹3,304
$100.0€88.9
-65.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$21.28₹2,021
$123€109
-82.67%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Kota
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$138₹13.1K
$1,614€1,436
-91.44%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$81.0₹7,695
$1,197€1,065
-93.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$273₹25.9K
$2,862€2,545
-90.45%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$172₹16.4K
$1,990€1,770
-91.35%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$565₹53.6K
$7,577€6,740
-92.55%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$334₹31.8K
$4,307€3,831
-92.23%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Kota
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$432₹41.0K
$1,588€1,412
-72.82%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
7.5
3.85
94.81%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Kota: October 11, 2026
Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🛒Groceries & Markets
Kota
$92 27.1%
Lisbon
$269 12.1% ↑ 192%$177
🏠Accommodation & Living
Kota
$81 23.8%
Lisbon
$1.2K 53.9% ↑ 1377%$1.1K
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Kota
$50 14.7%
Lisbon
$166 7.5% ↑ 233%$116
🍽Eating Out
Kota
$49 14.3%
Lisbon
$242 10.9% ↑ 397%$194
🚌Getting Around
Kota
$30 8.8%
Lisbon
$63 2.8% ↑ 110%$33
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kota
$22 6.5%
Lisbon
$219 9.9% ↑ 896%$197
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Kota
$17 5%
Lisbon
$66 3% ↑ 288%$49
🛒Groceries & Markets
Kota
$197 26.6%
Lisbon
$642 14.9% ↑ 226%$445
🏠Accommodation & Living
Kota
$172 23.3%
Lisbon
$2K 46.1% ↑ 1056%$1.8K
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Kota
$111 15%
Lisbon
$370 8.6% ↑ 233%$259
🍽Eating Out
Kota
$136 18.4%
Lisbon
$798 18.5% ↑ 488%$662
🚌Getting Around
Kota
$61 8.2%
Lisbon
$131 3% ↑ 115%$70
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Kota
$25 3.3%
Lisbon
$238 5.5% ↑ 870%$214
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Kota
$38 5.2%
Lisbon
$151 3.5% ↑ 296%$113
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $138 in Kota and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays 268% 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 Kota vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $92.0 vs $269 per month, with Kota cheaper across the board.
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
Kota vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Kota and in Lisbon?
Kota and Lisbon differ by about 552% in total monthly costs ($341 vs $2,223 including rent). Kota is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 268% 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 do apartment prices compare in Kota and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $138 in Kota versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 192% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Kota – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $61.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $341 in Kota versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kota but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kota the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Kota and Lisbon?
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.
Is Kota or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Kota 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.
Where should expats move: Kota or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Kota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 552% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.