Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kathmandu Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kathmandu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $495 in Kathmandu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $789 in Kathmandu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $1,083 in Kathmandu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 348% more expensive than in Kathmandu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Kathmandu is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.77

$1.87 NPR 283

743.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €54.5

$19.02 NPR 2,872

228.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.19

$6.56 NPR 991

60.67%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.41

$1.82 NPR 275

52.20%

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

$2.28 €1.99

$0.54 NPR 81.4

322.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.35

$0.17 NPR 25.55

811.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.09

$2.63 NPR 397

34.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.47

$3.68 NPR 556

8.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$0.81 NPR 122

33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.55 NPR 83.1

221.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.98 NPR 148

80.61%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.72

$1.79 NPR 270

74.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.64

$9.02 NPR 1,362

47.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.98

$3.22 NPR 486

148.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.89

$6.09 NPR 919

161.41%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.99

$2.28 NPR 344

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.43

$1.10 NPR 166

49.09%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.73

$1.25 NPR 189

58.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.14

$0.64 NPR 96.9

282.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.54

$0.52 NPR 79.1

240.38%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.67 NPR 101

194.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.72

$0.49 NPR 74.0

302.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.25 NPR 37.61

220.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.70

$2.93 NPR 443

123.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €5.01

$7.71 NPR 1,164

-25.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.15

$2.29 NPR 345

-42.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.60

$3.33 NPR 502

-10.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.04

$0.23 NPR 34.85

917.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €40.01

$10.72 NPR 1,619

327.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.71

$2.21 NPR 334

92.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.74

$1.10 NPR 166

-23.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.45

$3.67 NPR 554

413.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.81

$1.28 NPR 193

61.72%

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

$35.2K €30.8K

$31.6K NPR 4.8M

11.52%

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

$38.6K €33.7K

$39.9K NPR 6.0M

-3.26%

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

$151 €132

$32.60 NPR 4,921

363.59%

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

$20.91 €18.24

$5.00 NPR 755

318.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.50

$9.76 NPR 1,473

305.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €42.22

$22.54 NPR 3,403

114.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.24

$7.20 NPR 1,087

158.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.89

$3.30 NPR 499

173.94%

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

$610 €532

$89.6 NPR 13.5K

581.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.2K

$3,831 NPR 578.4K

324.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €88.3

$24.39 NPR 3,682

315.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €35.41

$28.03 NPR 4,232

44.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €81.2

$58.5 NPR 8,826

59.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €104

$40.36 NPR 6,093

193.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,398

$194 NPR 29.3K

724.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,081

$103 NPR 15.5K

1107.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,634

$336 NPR 50.7K

798.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,798

$187 NPR 28.2K

1004.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,963

$2,336 NPR 352.6K

241.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,955

$1,334 NPR 201.5K

239.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,421

$279 NPR 42.2K

483.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

12.08

-68.46%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $194 in Kathmandu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 483% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $19.00 in Kathmandu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $154 per month, with Kathmandu 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 Kathmandu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kathmandu wins on cost – living expenses run 348% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kathmandu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 483% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $194 in Kathmandu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Kathmandu – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,217 per month in Lisbon versus $495 in Kathmandu – a 348% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $495 in Kathmandu versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kathmandu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kathmandu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Kathmandu delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $495 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Kathmandu hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Kathmandu 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 Kathmandu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 348% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.