Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ashgabat

For one person, living is cheaper in Lisbon: $2,210 a month against $3,400 in Ashgabat, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Ashgabat
🇹🇲 Turkmenistan
$3,400
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Ashgabat

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,400 in Ashgabat.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Ashgabat $3,400

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $5,109 in Ashgabat.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Ashgabat $5,109

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $6,818 in Ashgabat.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Ashgabat $6,818

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 35% less than in Ashgabat, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 62% above, Ashgabat 150% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Ashgabat
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.91
$30.91 TMT 104
-46.13%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$87.1 TMT 292
-29.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.17
$12.81 TMT 42.92
-11.32%
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$6.98 TMT 23.40
-57.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$1.56 TMT 5.21
46.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.82 TMT 2.75
112.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
$5.60 TMT 18.76
-39.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.96
$13.68 TMT 45.84
-75.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Ashgabat
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$4.49 TMT 15.03
-74.16%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$2.01 TMT 6.72
-4.98%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.35
$5.77 TMT 19.34
-73.83%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$6.04 TMT 20.23
-33.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$36.95 TMT 124
-64.98%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.96
$19.67 TMT 65.9
-60.50%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.91
$23.60 TMT 79.1
-24.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$5.10 TMT 17.10
-54.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$8.63 TMT 28.91
-79.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$7.32 TMT 24.53
-74.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$3.67 TMT 12.30
-29.43%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$2.31 TMT 7.75
-21.21%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$1.39 TMT 4.65
41.73%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$2.63 TMT 8.81
-44.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$1.08 TMT 3.62
-33.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$25.92 TMT 86.8
-74.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
$41.19 TMT 138
-86.38%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
$5.08 TMT 17.01
-73.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
$2.84 TMT 9.51
-24.65%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Ashgabat
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$0.15 TMT 0.49
1453.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.01
$9.81 TMT 32.85
355.45%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$2.80 TMT 9.39
37.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.87 TMT 2.92
22.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.74
$8.75 TMT 29.33
88.11%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$0.41 TMT 1.37
436.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$44.6K TMT 149.3K
-23.30%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$57.0K TMT 190.8K
-32.01%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Ashgabat
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$576 TMT 1,930
-72.02%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.49
$58.3 TMT 195
-68.41%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.32
$103 TMT 347
-68.35%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Ashgabat
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.90
$197 TMT 659
-77.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.10
$43.87 TMT 147
-56.46%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$8.80 TMT 29.47
9.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Ashgabat
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$23.22 TMT 77.8
2775.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$25.2K TMT 84.5K
-30.16%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Ashgabat
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$56.8 TMT 190
79.61%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.82
$116 TMT 390
-61.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.2
$371 TMT 1,242
-73.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$194 TMT 650
-36.29%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Ashgabat
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,440
$1,396 TMT 4,675
15.25%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$1,000 TMT 3,349
19.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,519
$2,244 TMT 7,519
25.30%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,803
$1,931 TMT 6,470
4.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,021
$3,614 TMT 12.1K
116.88%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,098
$2,901 TMT 9,717
57.75%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Ashgabat
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$748 TMT 2,507
110.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
9.5
-59.47%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Ashgabat: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Ashgabat
$1,000 16% $191
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Ashgabat
$664 144% $391
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Ashgabat
$434 79.1% $192
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Ashgabat
$738 248% $526
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Ashgabat
$332 100% $166
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Ashgabat
$214 236% $150
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Ashgabat
$18 72.2% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $1,396 in Ashgabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays about 2.1 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $87 in Ashgabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $664 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇹🇲 Ashgabat
🕒 Local time
01:43 1:43 AM
06:43 6:43 AM
5 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
909,000 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

TMT, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Turkmenistani Manat exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 3.35 TMT (1 TMT = 0.299 USD). 1 EUR = 3.74 TMT (1 TMT = 0.267 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Ashgabat 5,750 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Ashgabat

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 Ashgabat: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Ashgabat?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $3,400 in Ashgabat, so Lisbon is about 35% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Ashgabat?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 2.1 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Ashgabat?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $1,396 in Ashgabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Ashgabat?
Childcare runs $668 in Lisbon versus $23 in Ashgabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 144% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $2,210 in Lisbon versus $3,400 in Ashgabat, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lisbon but tight or insufficient in Ashgabat. The gap between the two cities makes Lisbon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Ashgabat?
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 Lisbon or Ashgabat safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Ashgabat are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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