Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bortala Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bortala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $703 in Bortala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,132 in Bortala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,560 in Bortala.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 224% more expensive than in Bortala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Bortala is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.67

$2.87 ¥19.34

448.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.1

$20.79 ¥140

205.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.07

$5.01 ¥33.78

108.58%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.53

$3.09 ¥20.86

-5.83%

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

$2.29 €1.99

$0.44 ¥2.95

420.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.27 ¥1.79

455.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$0.87 ¥5.85

309.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.44

$2.06 ¥13.86

92.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.77 ¥11.95

-38.98%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.61 ¥10.88

9.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.89 ¥5.97

91.01%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.82

$1.65 ¥11.11

96.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.49

$13.04 ¥87.9

1.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.68

$3.06 ¥20.63

151.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.68

$10.14 ¥68.4

55.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.98

$1.73 ¥11.67

31.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.44

$1.20 ¥8.10

38.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.40 ¥9.47

44.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.15

$1.09 ¥7.33

126.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.67 ¥4.52

167.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.98 ¥6.59

111.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.60 ¥4.06

228.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.51 ¥3.44

62.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.69

$3.12 ¥21.02

109.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.83

$12.63 ¥85.2

-55.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$0.76 ¥5.10

75.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.61

$1.59 ¥10.71

89.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.29 ¥1.97

682.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.21

$16.49 ¥111

181.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.67

$1.43 ¥9.61

195.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.35 ¥2.38

142.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.34

$6.70 ¥45.17

181.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.16 ¥7.84

74.14%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$19.3K ¥130.1K

81.15%

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

$39.6K €34.4K

$17.0K ¥114.6K

133.13%

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

$148 €128

$45.05 ¥304

228.37%

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

$20.52 €17.80

$10.05 ¥67.8

104.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.29

$11.78 ¥79.4

235.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.79

$41.18 ¥278

16.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.95

$14.15 ¥95.4

29.96%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.89

$6.25 ¥42.13

45.60%

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

$615 €533

$343 ¥2,311

79.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$17.2K ¥115.7K

-5.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.1

$43.10 ¥291

135.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.52

$29.91 ¥202

40.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €80.1

$71.8 ¥484

28.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$75.1 ¥506

62.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,398

$277 ¥1,870

480.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,088

$190 ¥1,283

558.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,663

$599 ¥4,041

412.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,767

$366 ¥2,468

456.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,724

$3,161 ¥21.3K

145.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,719

$1,671 ¥11.3K

156.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,390

$632 ¥4,258

153.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

3.87

-1.55%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bortala: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $277 in Bortala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 154% 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 $21.00 in Bortala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $201 per month, with Bortala 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 Bortala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bortala wins on cost – living expenses run 224% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bortala the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 154% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $277 in Bortala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $703 in Bortala – a 224% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bortala runs roughly 181% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $703 in Bortala versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bortala but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bortala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bortala delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $703 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bortala hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Bortala 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 Bortala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 224% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.