Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ardabil

For one person, living is cheaper in Ardabil: $508 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Ardabil
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Ardabil Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Ardabil

🇮🇷 Iran

$508

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Ardabil

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $508 in Ardabil.

Lisbon $2,210
Ardabil $508

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $807 in Ardabil.

Lisbon $3,275
Ardabil $807

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,106 in Ardabil.

Lisbon $4,341
Ardabil $1,106

Living in Lisbon is roughly 335% more expensive than in Ardabil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Ardabil is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.65 €14.95

$2.89 $2.89

476.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 €55.5

$14.95 $14.95

312.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 €10.20

$3.92 $3.92

189.80%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.70 $0.70

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.00 $1.00

Cappuccino

$2.97 €2.67

$1.20 $1.20

147.50%

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

$2.29 €2.06

$0.51 $0.51

349.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.03 $1.03

68.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €3.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 €2.97

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 €1.04

$0.65 $0.65

78.46%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.72

$0.49 $0.49

289.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.51 €1.36

$2.03 $2.03

-25.62%

Eggs

$4.02 €3.61

$1.15 $1.15

249.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.62

$4.49 $4.49

188.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.77 €6.98

$3.32 $3.32

134.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.95

$10.23 $10.23

73.61%

Apples (1kg)

$2.30 €2.07

$1.17 $1.17

96.58%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.56

$1.41 $1.41

22.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.67

$0.87 $0.87

113.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.59 €2.33

$0.53 $0.53

388.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.82 €1.64

$0.50 $0.50

264.00%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.77

$0.47 $0.47

319.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.47 €1.32

$0.47 $0.47

212.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 €0.65

$0.23 $0.23

213.04%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.85 $0.85

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 $0.53

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 $1.44

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.91

$2.25 $2.25

192.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.61 €5.04

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.92

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.10

$0.15 $0.15

1453.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.14

$8.58 $8.58

420.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.85 €3.46

$0.43 $0.43

795.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.07 €0.96

$0.30 $0.30

256.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.46 €14.79

$2.32 $2.32

609.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 €1.98

$0.10 $0.10

2100.00%

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

$34.2K €30.7K

$42.9K $42.9K

-20.34%

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

$38.7K €34.8K

$40.4K $40.4K

-4.12%

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

$161 €145

$14.32 $14.32

1025.84%

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

$18.41 €16.54

$1.70 $1.70

982.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.74 €29.41

$3.40 $3.40

862.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.55 €40.02

$15.84 $15.84

181.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.10 €17.16

$14.71 $14.71

29.84%

Cinema Ticket

$9.60 €8.62

$1.98 $1.98

384.85%

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

$668 €600

$93.6 $93.6

613.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.8K

$2,121 $2,121

730.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.6

$21.25 $21.25

380.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.46 €39.94

$25.29 $25.29

75.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 €88.5

$96.5 $96.5

2.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €111

$65.6 $65.6

88.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,608 €1,445

$292 $292

451.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 €1,069

$196 $196

507.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,812 €2,526

$775 $775

262.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 €1,808

$339 $339

494.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,839 €7,042

$1,188 $1,188

559.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,576 €4,110

$506 $506

804.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,415

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

24.3

-84.16%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ardabil: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Ardabil

$196 38.6% 83.5% $994

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$272 12.3%

Ardabil

$112 22.1% 58.7% $160

Eating Out

Lisbon

$243 11%

Ardabil

$55 10.9% 77.1% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$212 9.6%

Ardabil

$19 3.8% 90.9% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Ardabil

$94 18.5% 43.4% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Ardabil

$20 3.9% 68.9% $44

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Ardabil

$11 2.2% 82.5% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $292 in Ardabil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $15 in Ardabil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $112 per month, with Ardabil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇮🇷 Ardabil

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

22:09 10:09 PM

3 h 30 min ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

482,632

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.11 USD

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Lisbon Ardabil 4,910 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

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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 Ardabil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ardabil is cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and clothing. The 335% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $762 in Ardabil to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $292 in Ardabil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ardabil runs roughly 81% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $94 in Ardabil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $508 in Ardabil versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ardabil but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ardabil 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 Ardabil 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 Ardabil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.