Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Karakol

For one person, living is cheaper in Karakol: $438 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

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Karakol

🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan

$438

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Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Karakol

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $438 in Karakol.

Lisbon $2,202
Karakol $438

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $649 in Karakol.

Lisbon $3,274
Karakol $649

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $859 in Karakol.

Lisbon $4,346
Karakol $859

Living in Lisbon is roughly 403% more expensive than in Karakol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Karakol is 68% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$2.24 KGS 196

660.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$9.34 KGS 817

566.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$1.74 KGS 152

79.31%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$0.58 KGS 50.9

291.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.28 KGS 24.12

521.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$1.17 KGS 102

192.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$1.67 KGS 146

123.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$0.76 KGS 66.3

53.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$0.24 KGS 21.06

675.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.40 KGS 123

10.00%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$1.67 KGS 146

143.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$6.82 KGS 597

89.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$4.12 KGS 360

91.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$5.58 KGS 488

216.13%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$0.81 KGS 71.2

179.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.39 KGS 121

25.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$1.12 KGS 97.7

128.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$0.54 KGS 47.59

242.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$0.35 KGS 30.90

314.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.58 KGS 51.0

32.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$1.75 KGS 153

283.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$5.28 KGS 462

7.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.11 KGS 97.0

23.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.23 KGS 195

-5.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$0.18 KGS 15.65

1188.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$1.30 KGS 114

203.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.04 KGS 91.1

110.58%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

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

$38.3K €34.0K

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

$164 €146

$39.47 KGS 3,453

315.02%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$4.24 KGS 371

335.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$9.56 KGS 836

244.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$15.34 KGS 1,342

199.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

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

$684 €608

$91.0 KGS 7,958

651.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$33.69 KGS 2,947

270.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$228 KGS 19.9K

597.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$172 KGS 15.0K

579.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$283 KGS 24.8K

905.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$291 KGS 25.4K

586.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Karakol: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Karakol

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Karakol

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Karakol

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Karakol

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Karakol

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Karakol

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Karakol

–

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $228 in Karakol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $9.00 in Karakol for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $129 per month, with Karakol cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇰🇬 Karakol

🕒 Local time

17:57 5:57 PM

22:57 10:57 PM

5 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

63,400

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Kyrgyzstani Som KGS сом

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 KGS = 1.14 USD

100 KGS = 1.02 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KGS, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Kyrgyzstani Som exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 87.48 KGS (100 KGS = 1.14 USD). 1 EUR = 98.35 KGS (100 KGS = 1.02 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Karakol 7,050 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Karakol

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 Karakol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Karakol differ by about 403% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $438 including rent). Karakol is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,302 in Lisbon and $657 in Karakol 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $228 in Karakol. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 112% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $438 in Karakol – a 403% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $438 in Karakol versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Karakol but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Karakol the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Karakol 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 Karakol gentler on the wallet – expenses run 403% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.