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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $837 in Assela.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,221 in Assela.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $1,606 in Assela.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 174% more expensive than in Assela, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Assela is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$4.03 ETB 648

336.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$41.86 ETB 6,725

50.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$6.33 ETB 1,018

82.94%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$0.95 ETB 153

226.32%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.63 ETB 101

295.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.65 ETB 104

167.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$0.81 ETB 130

329.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.29 ETB 368

50.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.06 ETB 170

8.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.18 ETB 189

61.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.12 ETB 340

-29.25%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$1.73 ETB 278

130.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$7.36 ETB 1,182

80.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$10.30 ETB 1,655

-22.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$9.05 ETB 1,454

99.34%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$5.24 ETB 842

-55.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.64 ETB 103

173.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$2.23 ETB 358

-17.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$0.66 ETB 106

286.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.50 ETB 79.9

268.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.08 ETB 174

94.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.70 ETB 112

112.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.58 ETB 92.5

41.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$8.19 ETB 1,315

-13.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$5.70 ETB 915

3.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$0.70 ETB 113

87.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.21 ETB 195

76.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.33 ETB 214

206.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.29 ETB 46.93

293.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$1.99 ETB 319

758.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$0.97 ETB 156

138.14%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$54.1K ETB 8.7M

-36.90%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$54.8K ETB 8.8M

-24.44%

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

$169 €147

$203 ETB 32.6K

-16.82%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$7.47 ETB 1,200

158.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$215 ETB 34.6K

-84.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$3.83 ETB 615

149.87%

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

$696 €607

$137 ETB 22.0K

408.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$30.1K ETB 4.8M

-42.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$33.34 ETB 5,355

215.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$70.6 ETB 11.3K

-32.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$79.2 ETB 12.7K

26.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$82.3 ETB 13.2K

51.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

18.5

-79.57%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Assela: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $42.00 in Assela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $211 per month, with Assela 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 Assela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Assela is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 174% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,444 in Lisbon and $1,256 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 $696 in Lisbon versus $137 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 $42.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $837 in Assela versus $2,296 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 174% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.