Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Assela Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Assela

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $814 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,243 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,671 in Assela.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 180% more expensive than in Assela, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Assela is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$4.50 ETB 718

250.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$35.13 ETB 5,611

80.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$6.33 ETB 1,011

65.09%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.23 ETB 197

136.59%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.68 ETB 108

236.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.46 ETB 73.9

226.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.02 ETB 164

249.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.92 ETB 466

35.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.40 ETB 223

-22.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.35 ETB 215

30.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$2.20 ETB 352

-22.73%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.47 ETB 394

31.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$7.36 ETB 1,175

80.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$13.97 ETB 2,231

-44.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$13.21 ETB 2,109

19.38%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$6.71 ETB 1,072

-66.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$0.96 ETB 153

72.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$2.29 ETB 365

-11.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$0.92 ETB 147

168.48%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.68 ETB 109

163.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.85 ETB 295

11.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.68 ETB 109

189.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.64 ETB 102

29.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$3.94 ETB 629

66.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$5.48 ETB 875

1.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.05 ETB 167

26.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.83 ETB 292

64.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.47 ETB 235

187.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.27 ETB 42.86

214.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$1.97 ETB 315

855.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.24 ETB 198

62.90%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$54.6K ETB 8.7M

-35.94%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$53.8K ETB 8.6M

-26.27%

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

$148 €128

$161 ETB 25.6K

-7.88%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$11.77 ETB 1,880

74.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$131 ETB 21.0K

-69.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$5.65 ETB 902

61.06%

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

$615 €532

$80.3 ETB 12.8K

665.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$40.8K ETB 6.5M

-60.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$46.50 ETB 7,427

118.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$74.6 ETB 11.9K

-43.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$94.6 ETB 15.1K

-2.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$115 ETB 18.3K

6.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-77.59%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Assela: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $35.00 in Assela. Groceries flip the comparison at $267 vs $267, 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 Assela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assela is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 180% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $1,221 in Assela 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.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $80.3 in Assela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Assela – a meal for two runs $35.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $814 in Assela versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Assela but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Assela the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Assela is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Assela 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 Assela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 180% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.