Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Asmara Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Asmara

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,472 in Asmara.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,178 in Asmara.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,884 in Asmara.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 56% more expensive than in Asmara, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 71% above, Asmara 10% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$12.50 ERN 188

29.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$29.48 ERN 443

114.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.86 ERN 88.0

76.11%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$0.80 ERN 12.03

253.75%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.88 ERN 28.22

21.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$1.34 ERN 20.18

17.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.03 ERN 15.41

230.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$1.99 ERN 29.89

102.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.66 ERN 24.95

-34.34%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.48 ERN 7.23

264.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.97 ERN 29.60

-10.66%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$4.47 ERN 67.2

-29.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$3.06 ERN 46.03

331.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$26.59 ERN 400

-70.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$10.04 ERN 151

54.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$12.00 ERN 180

-80.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.25 ERN 18.83

36.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.94 ERN 29.19

3.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.25 ERN 18.81

94.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.74 ERN 26.22

1.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.10 ERN 16.46

84.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.66 ERN 9.91

190.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$2.19 ERN 32.98

-61.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.01 ERN 30.28

227.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$22.69 ERN 341

-75.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.02 ERN 15.26

30.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.20 ERN 18.09

147.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.14 ERN 2.10

1528.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$7.78 ERN 117

488.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.69 ERN 10.39

513.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.65 ERN 9.75

24.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$8.09 ERN 122

127.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$2.19 ERN 32.93

-5.02%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$65.5K ERN 984.5K

-47.07%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$70.5K ERN 1.1M

-44.45%

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

$148 €130

$27.41 ERN 412

440.13%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$67.3 ERN 1,012

-69.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$196 ERN 2,953

-79.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$26.92 ERN 405

78.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$7.69 ERN 116

141.87%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$1.07 ERN 16.06

761.68%

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

$616 €540

$24.81 ERN 373

2383.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,664 ERN 25.0K

887.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$83.5 ERN 1,255

22.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$75.8 ERN 1,139

-44.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$197 ERN 2,956

-51.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$94.1 ERN 1,414

29.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$476 ERN 7,156

242.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$398 ERN 5,980

209.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$729 ERN 11.0K

324.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$647 ERN 9,729

213.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$2,230 ERN 33.5K

251.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$2,233 ERN 33.6K

96.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$997 ERN 15.0K

61.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-68.25%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Asmara: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $476 in Asmara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 61% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $29.00 in Asmara. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $390, with Lisbon cheaper for home cooking.

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 Asmara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Asmara differ by about 56% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,472 including rent). Asmara is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $476 in Asmara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Asmara runs roughly 489% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $24.81 in Asmara. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,472 in Asmara versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Asmara but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Asmara 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 Asmara 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 Asmara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.