Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Isfahan

For one person, living is cheaper in Isfahan: $468 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Isfahan, Iran
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Isfahan
🇮🇷 Iran
$468
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Isfahan

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 Isfahan actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,210 per month in Lisbon vs $468 in Isfahan, rent included.

  • Lisbon $2,210
  • Isfahan $468

A couple spends around $3,275 per month in Lisbon vs $797 in Isfahan, rent included.

  • Lisbon $3,275
  • Isfahan $797

A family of three spends $4,341 per month in Lisbon vs $1,126 in Isfahan, rent included.

  • Lisbon $4,341
  • Isfahan $1,126

Lisbon costs about 372% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Isfahan is 66% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Isfahan
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65 €14.92
$3.07 $3.07
442.35%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7 €55.3
$12.64 $12.64
388.45%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.36 €10.18
$3.08 $3.08
268.83%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.78 $0.78
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.03 $2.03
-
Cappuccino
$2.97 €2.66
$1.01 $1.01
194.06%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 €2.05
$0.51 $0.51
349.02%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.49 $0.49
255.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.40 €3.05
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31 €2.97
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Isfahan
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 €1.04
$0.48 $0.48
141.67%
White Bread (500g)
$1.91 €1.71
$0.46 $0.46
315.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.51 €1.36
$1.90 $1.90
-20.53%
Eggs
$4.02 €3.60
$1.52 $1.52
164.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.94 €11.59
$2.86 $2.86
352.45%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.77 €6.97
$2.33 $2.33
233.48%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.76 €15.92
$10.48 $10.48
69.47%
Apples (1kg)
$2.30 €2.06
$0.77 $0.77
198.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.73 €1.55
$1.31 $1.31
32.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.86 €1.66
$1.02 $1.02
82.35%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.59 €2.32
$0.56 $0.56
362.50%
Potato (1kg)
$1.82 €1.63
$0.55 $0.55
230.91%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$0.48 $0.48
310.42%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.47 €1.32
$0.54 $0.54
172.22%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72 €0.65
$0.17 $0.17
323.53%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.49 $0.49
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.54 $0.54
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$0.83 $0.83
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58 €5.90
$2.12 $2.12
210.38%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.61 €5.02
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36 €1.22
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14 €1.91
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Isfahan
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.33 €2.09
$0.29 $0.29
703.45%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.68 €40.04
$12.50 $12.50
257.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.85 €3.45
$0.52 $0.52
640.38%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.07 €0.96
$0.31 $0.31
245.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.46 €14.75
$2.02 $2.02
714.85%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.20 €1.97
$0.86 $0.86
155.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K €30.6K
$66.1K $66.1K
-48.26%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K €34.7K
$47.3K $47.3K
-18.09%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Isfahan
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$161 €144
$10.17 $10.17
1485.25%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41 €16.50
$2.09 $2.09
780.86%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74 €29.34
$7.41 $7.41
341.84%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Isfahan
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$44.55 €39.92
$13.79 $13.79
223.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10 €17.11
$13.24 $13.24
44.26%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60 €8.60
$1.02 $1.02
841.18%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Isfahan
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$668 €598
$72.8 $72.8
817.39%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.8K
$533 $533
3203.47%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Isfahan
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102 €91.4
$18.16 $18.16
461.78%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46 €39.85
$23.84 $23.84
86.49%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$98.5 €88.3
$87.3 $87.3
12.81%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124 €111
$36.59 $36.59
237.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Isfahan
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,608 €1,441
$285 $285
464.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,190 €1,066
$192 $192
519.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,812 €2,520
$1,338 $1,338
110.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,013 €1,804
$449 $449
348.23%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,839 €7,025
$1,189 $1,189
559.19%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,576 €4,100
$741 $741
517.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Isfahan
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,575 €1,411
$203 $203
674.45%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
26.8
-85.63%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Last update for Isfahan: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Isfahan
$192 83.9% $998
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272
Isfahan
$100 63.2% $172
Eating Out
Lisbon
$243
Isfahan
$50 79.4% $193
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212
Isfahan
$20 90.7% $193
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Isfahan
$75 55% $91
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64
Isfahan
$16 75.2% $48
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Isfahan
$16 75.1% $47

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,608 in Lisbon versus $285 in Isfahan. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries in Lisbon are about 7.7 times higher. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon versus $13 in Isfahan. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $272 vs $100 – making Isfahan the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇮🇷 Isfahan
🕒 Local time
08:01 8:01 AM
11:31 11:31 AM
3 h 30 min ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
1,961,260
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD exchange rates as of November 2, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Isfahan 5,430 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Isfahan

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 Isfahan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Lisbon or Isfahan?
Lisbon costs about 372% more than Isfahan, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That’s enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Lisbon and in Isfahan?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,315 per month in Lisbon and $702 in Isfahan. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Lisbon or Isfahan?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Isfahan, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $285 there versus $1,608 in Lisbon.
How do dining costs compare in Lisbon and in Isfahan?
A mid-range dinner for two costs $62 in Lisbon and $13 in Isfahan. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Lisbon compared to Isfahan?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $468 in Isfahan. That makes Isfahan about 79% cheaper.
Can you live on $800/month in Lisbon or in Isfahan?
A $800 monthly budget goes further in Isfahan, where all-in costs run around $468, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Isfahan it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Isfahan – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
How safe is Lisbon compared to Isfahan?
Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.
Should I move to Lisbon or to Isfahan?
If budget matters most, go with Isfahan. If higher salaries or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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