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: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $484 in Kathmandu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $773 in Kathmandu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,063 in Kathmandu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 379% more expensive than in Kathmandu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Kathmandu is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$1.94 NPR 294

791.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$20.08 NPR 3,037

215.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$6.74 NPR 1,020

68.99%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$1.54 NPR 234

107.14%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.56 NPR 84.4

337.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.15 NPR 23.02

1073.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$3.23 NPR 489

11.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.67 NPR 556

-7.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$0.76 NPR 115

63.16%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.63 NPR 95.2

214.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.86 NPR 130

76.74%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.69 NPR 256

139.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$7.26 NPR 1,098

86.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$3.40 NPR 515

146.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$5.21 NPR 788

250.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$2.07 NPR 313

10.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.15 NPR 174

51.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.41 NPR 213

31.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$0.57 NPR 86.7

361.40%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.38 NPR 58.1

405.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.52 NPR 78.0

301.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.49 NPR 74.6

193.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.25 NPR 37.97

236.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$2.70 NPR 408

151.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$7.94 NPR 1,201

-28.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.23 NPR 337

-38.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$3.00 NPR 454

-26.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.19 NPR 29.43

1163.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

$10.11 NPR 1,529

362.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$2.02 NPR 305

106.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.34 NPR 203

-14.93%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$3.32 NPR 503

432.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.41 NPR 213

64.54%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$29.4K NPR 4.4M

20.11%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$36.6K NPR 5.5M

13.28%

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

$170 €146

$31.68 NPR 4,792

437.66%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$3.38 NPR 511

472.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$8.12 NPR 1,228

314.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$22.51 NPR 3,405

113.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$7.01 NPR 1,060

183.88%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$2.98 NPR 451

232.89%

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

$717 €617

$67.1 NPR 10.1K

969.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$4,824 NPR 729.6K

262.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$26.37 NPR 3,989

297.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$28.67 NPR 4,336

63.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$65.9 NPR 9,965

56.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$30.44 NPR 4,604

307.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$221 NPR 33.4K

659.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$104 NPR 15.7K

1121.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$439 NPR 66.4K

579.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$204 NPR 30.8K

876.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$2,289 NPR 346.2K

241.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$1,332 NPR 201.5K

249.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$275 NPR 41.5K

476.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

9.72

-61.01%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Kathmandu: August 29, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $221 in Kathmandu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 476% 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 $20.00 in Kathmandu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $144 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 379% 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 476% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $221 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 $20.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $484 in Kathmandu – a 379% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $484 in Kathmandu versus $2,316 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 $484 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 379% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.