Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Arak

For one person, living is cheaper in Arak: $480 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Arak
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Arak Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Arak

🇮🇷 Iran

$480

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Arak

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 Arak actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $480 in Arak.

Lisbon $2,210
Arak $480

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $755 in Arak.

Lisbon $3,275
Arak $755

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,030 in Arak.

Lisbon $4,341
Arak $1,030

Living in Lisbon is roughly 361% more expensive than in Arak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Arak is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.92

$3.55 $3.55

369.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.3

$12.88 $12.88

379.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.18

$4.09 $4.09

177.75%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.73 $0.73

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 $0.57

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.66

$1.33 $1.33

123.31%

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

$2.29 €2.05

$0.51 $0.51

349.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.66 $1.66

4.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$0.54 $0.54

114.81%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.71

$0.58 $0.58

229.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$1.96 $1.96

-22.96%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.60

$1.28 $1.28

214.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.59

$2.14 $2.14

504.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.97

$2.53 $2.53

207.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.92

$10.31 $10.31

72.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.06

$0.77 $0.77

198.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.55

$0.94 $0.94

84.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.66

$0.63 $0.63

195.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.32

$0.48 $0.48

439.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$0.42 $0.42

333.33%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.76

$0.44 $0.44

347.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$0.48 $0.48

206.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.28 $0.28

157.14%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.76 $0.76

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 $0.55

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.90

$2.52 $2.52

161.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.02

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.09

$0.10 $0.10

2230.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

$9.70 $9.70

360.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.45

$0.25 $0.25

1440.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.12 $0.12

791.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.75

$1.02 $1.02

1513.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.97

$0.10 $0.10

2100.00%

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

$34.2K €30.6K

$50.3K $50.3K

-32.09%

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

$38.7K €34.7K

$35.0K $35.0K

10.80%

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

$161 €144

$10.03 $10.03

1507.38%

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

$18.41 €16.50

$1.43 $1.43

1187.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.34

$4.01 $4.01

716.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €39.92

$9.93 $9.93

348.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.11

$24.64 $24.64

-22.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.60

$1.11 $1.11

764.86%

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

$668 €598

$83.3 $83.3

702.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$2,372 $2,372

642.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$13.59 $13.59

650.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.85

$8.51 $8.51

422.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.3

$81.9 $81.9

20.32%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$52.1 $52.1

137.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,441

$294 $294

447.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,066

$210 $210

467.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,520

$781 $781

259.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,804

$357 $357

464.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,025

$1,369 $1,369

472.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,100

$647 $647

607.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

$375 $375

319.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

18.5

-79.19%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Arak: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Arak

$210 43.7% 82.4% $980

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Arak

$96 20% 64.7% $176

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Arak

$65 13.6% 73.1% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Arak

$15 3.2% 92.7% $197

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Arak

$70 14.6% 57.7% $96

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Arak

$12 2.5% 81% $52

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Arak

$11 2.3% 82.7% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $294 in Arak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 4.2 times 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: $62 in Lisbon vs $13 in Arak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $96 per month, with Arak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇷 Arak

🕒 Local time

01:20 1:20 AM

04:50 4:50 AM

3 h 30 min ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

526,200

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Arak 5,200 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
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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 Arak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arak is about 78% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay in Lisbon is about 4.2 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $294 in Arak. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $480 in Arak – Arak is about 78% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Arak runs roughly 78% less than in Lisbon. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $480 in Arak versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Arak but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Arak 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, Lisbon and Arak are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

Expats usually find Arak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 78% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.