Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Alexandria

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $452 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index
22

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Alexandria

🇪🇬 Egypt

$452

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Alexandria

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Alexandria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,202 per month in Lisbon vs $452 in Alexandria, rent included.

Lisbon $2,202
Alexandria $452

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Lisbon vs $750 in Alexandria, rent included.

Lisbon $3,274
Alexandria $750

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $1,048 in Alexandria, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Alexandria $1,048

Lisbon costs about 387% more than Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Alexandria is 67% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$4.22 E£225

303.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$18.66 E£996

233.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$4.74 E£253

132.49%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$1.26 E£67.3

147.62%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$0.30 E£15.96

656.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.12 E£6.31

1350.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$1.33 E£70.9

157.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$2.74 E£146

36.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$0.84 E£44.97

39.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$0.71 E£37.73

161.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$0.58 E£30.74

165.52%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$1.10 E£59.0

269.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$3.66 E£195

252.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$4.19 E£224

88.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$9.17 E£490

92.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.46 E£77.7

54.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$0.78 E£41.63

124.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$0.51 E£27.48

270.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$0.34 E£18.27

652.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$0.24 E£12.77

670.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$0.30 E£15.98

556.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$0.27 E£14.47

437.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.22 E£11.93

250.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$1.86 E£99.6

260.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$5.62 E£300

0.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.16 E£61.9

18.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.15 E£115

-1.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$0.22 E£11.66

954.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$10.95 E£585

305.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$0.57 E£30.48

592.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$0.49 E£26.19

114.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$1.11 E£59.1

1445.05%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$0.45 E£24.16

386.67%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$32.8K E£1.8M

3.08%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$25.2K E£1.3M

51.98%

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

$164 €146

$14.02 E£749

1068.40%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$6.60 E£353

180.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$12.75 E£681

158.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$12.39 E£662

270.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$7.31 E£390

155.54%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$2.73 E£146

257.14%

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

$684 €608

$85.2 E£4,549

703.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$2,035 E£108.6K

766.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$32.61 E£1,741

218.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$45.28 E£2,418

2.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$125 E£6,687

-20.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$54.9 E£2,933

127.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$131 E£7,020

1108.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$69.3 E£3,702

1586.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$279 E£14.9K

921.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$142 E£7,603

1299.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$679 E£36.2K

1048.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$431 E£23.0K

925.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$137 E£7,313

1068.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

21.33

-81.95%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Alexandria

$69 15.3% 94.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Alexandria

$124 27.4% 54.6% $149

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Alexandria

$77 17% 68.9% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Alexandria

$33 7.4% 84.5% $182

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Alexandria

$116 25.7% 31.1% $52

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Alexandria

$18 4% 72.7% $48

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Alexandria

$15 3.3% 76.4% $48

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in Lisbon versus $131 in Alexandria. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1068% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62.0 in Lisbon versus $19.00 in Alexandria. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $124 – making Alexandria the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇪🇬 Alexandria

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

15:33 3:33 PM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

4,546,231

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Egyptian Pound EGP £

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 EGP = 1.87 USD

100 EGP = 1.67 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 53.4 EGP (100 EGP = 1.87 USD). 1 EUR = 60.03 EGP (100 EGP = 1.67 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Alexandria 3,630 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Alexandria

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

Lisbon vs Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 387% more than Alexandria, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,302 per month in Lisbon and $678 in Alexandria. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Alexandria, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $684 per month in Lisbon and $85.2 in Alexandria. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 120% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Alexandria, where all-in costs run around $452, than in Lisbon at $2,202. In Alexandria it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Alexandria costs $452 versus $2,202 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Alexandria. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.