Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Birjand

For one person, living is cheaper in Birjand: $515 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $20,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Birjand, Iran
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Birjand
🇮🇷 Iran
$515
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Birjand

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Birjand actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $515 in Birjand, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Birjand $515

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $826 in Birjand, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Birjand $826

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $1,136 in Birjand, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Birjand $1,136

Lisbon costs about 329% more than Birjand, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Birjand is 62% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Birjand
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.96
$3.44 $3.44
384.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.5
$15.57 $15.57
296.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.20
$3.90 $3.90
191.28%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.65 $0.65
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.08 $1.08
-
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.67
$1.05 $1.05
182.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.06
$0.49 $0.49
367.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.87 $0.87
100.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.06
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Birjand
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$0.69 $0.69
68.12%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.72
$0.57 $0.57
235.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$2.02 $2.02
-25.25%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.61
$1.22 $1.22
229.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.62
$3.81 $3.81
239.63%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.99
$3.79 $3.79
105.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.96
$10.78 $10.78
64.75%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.07
$1.03 $1.03
123.30%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.56
$1.57 $1.57
10.19%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.67
$0.96 $0.96
93.75%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.33
$0.62 $0.62
317.74%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.64
$0.60 $0.60
203.33%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.77
$0.48 $0.48
310.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$0.56 $0.56
162.50%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.27 $0.27
166.67%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.85 $0.85
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.60 $0.60
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.52 $1.52
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.92
$2.87 $2.87
129.27%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.04
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.92
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Birjand
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.10
$0.15 $0.15
1453.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.14
$8.93 $8.93
400.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.46
$0.43 $0.43
795.35%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.32 $0.32
234.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.79
$2.33 $2.33
606.44%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.98
$0.10 $0.10
2100.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.7K
$49.8K $49.8K
-31.40%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.8K
$45.7K $45.7K
-15.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Birjand
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €145
$11.48 $11.48
1304.36%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.54
$1.79 $1.79
928.49%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.41
$3.79 $3.79
763.85%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Birjand
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €40.03
$18.47 $18.47
141.20%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.16
$14.40 $14.40
32.64%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.62
$2.11 $2.11
354.98%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Birjand
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €600
$124 $124
439.06%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$2,067 $2,067
752.33%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Birjand
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.7
$22.51 $22.51
353.22%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.95
$25.40 $25.40
75.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.5
$91.6 $91.6
7.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$67.7 $67.7
82.81%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Birjand
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,445
$309 $309
420.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,069
$196 $196
508.05%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,527
$725 $725
288.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,809
$345 $345
483.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,043
$1,117 $1,117
601.94%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,111
$487 $487
839.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Birjand
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,415
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
24.3
-84.16%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Birjand: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Birjand
$196 83.6% $994
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Birjand
$118 56.7% $154
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Birjand
$57 76.4% $185
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Birjand
$17 92% $195
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Birjand
$93 43.8% $73
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Birjand
$23 64.4% $41
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Birjand
$12 81.7% $52

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $309 in Birjand. 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 $62 in Lisbon versus $16 in Birjand. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $118 – making Birjand the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇮🇷 Birjand
🕒 Local time
11:17 11:17 AM
14:47 2:47 PM
3 h 30 min ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
203,636
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

USD exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Birjand 6,060 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Birjand

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Birjand: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How do living costs in Lisbon and in Birjand compare overall?
Monthly costs with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon, $515 in Birjand – roughly 329% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Birjand?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $773 in Birjand. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
How do rents compare between Lisbon and Birjand?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Birjand, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $309 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Groceries cost about 131% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $16 in Birjand. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
A $1,200 monthly budget goes further in Birjand, where all-in costs run around $515, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Birjand it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Where should families live: Lisbon or Birjand?
Families tend to lean toward Birjand – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Is Lisbon or Birjand safer for residents?
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.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Birjand?
For expats, Birjand is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and the 329% gap matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.

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