Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Benares Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Benares

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $970 in Benares, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,311 per month in Lisbon vs $1,570 in Benares, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,411 per month in Lisbon vs $2,171 in Benares, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 128% more than Benares, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Lisbon sits 65% above the global median, while Benares is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$6.69 MUR 316

137.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$43.19 MUR 2,041

49.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$6.40 MUR 303

64.22%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.64 MUR 125

8.71%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.01 MUR 47.64

121.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.57 MUR 26.90

163.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.06 MUR 97.5

69.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.75 MUR 130

41.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.52 MUR 71.9

-25.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.65 MUR 30.75

169.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.33 MUR 62.9

32.33%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.36 MUR 111

36.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$9.68 MUR 457

39.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$6.22 MUR 294

27.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$10.48 MUR 495

51.43%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.07 MUR 98.0

11.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.99 MUR 94.0

-14.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.45 MUR 68.5

38.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.62 MUR 124

-6.11%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.02 MUR 48.42

80.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.95 MUR 44.88

110.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.80 MUR 37.74

141.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.57 MUR 27.09

38.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$6.20 MUR 293

6.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$8.29 MUR 392

-31.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.79 MUR 84.7

-23.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.10 MUR 99.3

41.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.04 MUR 49.23

127.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.33 MUR 205

-0.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.69 MUR 127

-69.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$15.33 MUR 724

19.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.39 MUR 65.8

48.20%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$35.5K MUR 1.7M

-3.50%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$28.9K MUR 1.4M

35.75%

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

$148 €127

$50.3 MUR 2,376

194.03%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$18.59 MUR 878

10.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$32.34 MUR 1,528

22.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$37.89 MUR 1,790

26.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$6.08 MUR 287

50.99%

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

$614 €528

$151 MUR 7,149

305.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$3,885 MUR 183.6K

313.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$51.1 MUR 2,413

104.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$43.42 MUR 2,052

-3.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$83.5 MUR 3,946

12.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$77.8 MUR 3,675

53.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$504 MUR 23.8K

223.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$354 MUR 16.7K

254.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$931 MUR 44.0K

225.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$718 MUR 33.9K

181.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.25

-39.04%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Benares: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,628 in Lisbon versus $504 in Benares. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Lisbon versus $43.00 in Benares. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $214 – making Benares the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Benares: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $970 in Benares – roughly 128% apart. Lisbon costs more across the board, with Eating Out showing the biggest gap.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $1,454 in Benares. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Benares, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $65.0 in Lisbon and $43.00 in Benares. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Benares, where all-in costs run around $970, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Benares it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Benares has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $970 in Benares to $2,210 in Lisbon. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Benares. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.