Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ashgabat Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ashgabat

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $3,448 in Ashgabat.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $5,119 in Ashgabat.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $6,790 in Ashgabat.

Living in Lisbon costs roughly 33% less than in Ashgabat, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 68% above, Ashgabat 152% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$32.00 TMT 107

-45.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$85.9 TMT 288

-26.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$12.70 TMT 42.55

-8.82%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$6.99 TMT 23.41

-55.65%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.56 TMT 5.22

59.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.83 TMT 2.79

109.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$5.54 TMT 18.56

-37.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$13.38 TMT 44.83

-74.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$4.40 TMT 14.73

-73.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$2.08 TMT 6.97

-8.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$5.99 TMT 20.06

-74.96%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$5.90 TMT 19.78

-32.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$38.28 TMT 128

-65.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$19.69 TMT 66.0

-59.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$22.82 TMT 76.5

-20.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$5.14 TMT 17.23

-54.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$8.64 TMT 28.94

-79.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$7.49 TMT 25.08

-75.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$3.79 TMT 12.70

-32.72%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$2.34 TMT 7.85

-21.37%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.44 TMT 4.83

45.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$2.75 TMT 9.21

-45.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.13 TMT 3.78

-27.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$25.85 TMT 86.6

-72.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$41.91 TMT 140

-85.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$5.06 TMT 16.96

-74.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.89 TMT 9.69

-26.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.14 TMT 0.46

1585.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$10.13 TMT 33.94

360.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$2.84 TMT 9.51

43.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.89 TMT 2.99

28.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$8.54 TMT 28.62

100.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.41 TMT 1.38

463.41%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$43.7K TMT 146.3K

-21.87%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$56.1K TMT 187.9K

-26.23%

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

$169 €147

$578 TMT 1,937

-70.85%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$56.6 TMT 190

-65.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$101 TMT 339

-66.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$192 TMT 643

-74.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$45.06 TMT 151

-56.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$8.32 TMT 27.89

15.02%

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

$696 €607

$22.71 TMT 76.1

2964.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$24.4K TMT 81.8K

-28.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$55.1 TMT 185

91.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$115 TMT 385

-58.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$358 TMT 1,200

-71.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$196 TMT 657

-36.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$1,140 TMT 3,817

45.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$992 TMT 3,322

25.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$2,256 TMT 7,557

31.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$1,942 TMT 6,506

5.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$3,617 TMT 12.1K

116.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$2,838 TMT 9,506

57.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$743 TMT 2,488

119.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

9.5

-60.21%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Ashgabat: September 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $1,140 in Ashgabat. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 120% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $86.0 in Ashgabat for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $670 per month, with Lisbon cheaper across the board.

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

Lisbon and Ashgabat differ by about 50% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $3,448 including rent). Lisbon is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 120% higher in Lisbon, 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $1,140 in Ashgabat. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $22.71 in Ashgabat. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 142% higher in Ashgabat. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Lisbon is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Ashgabat 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 Lisbon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Ashgabat. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.