For one person, living is cheaper in Kish: $556 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
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 Kish actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $556 in Kish.
Lisbon $2,210
Kish $556
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $874 in Kish.
Lisbon $3,275
Kish $874
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $1,193 in Kish.
Lisbon $4,341
Kish $1,193
🌍
Living in Lisbon is roughly 298% more expensive than in Kish, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Kish is 59% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Kish
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65€14.92
$5.57$5.57
198.92%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7€55.3
$15.80$15.80
290.76%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.36€10.18
$4.61$4.61
146.42%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.69$0.69
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.21$1.21
-
Cappuccino
$2.97€2.66
$1.03$1.03
188.35%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29€2.05
$0.50$0.50
358.00%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74€1.56
$0.98$0.98
77.55%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.40€3.05
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31€2.97
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Kish
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.16€1.04
$0.64$0.64
81.25%
White Bread(500g)
$1.91€1.71
$0.47$0.47
306.38%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.51€1.36
$2.09$2.09
-27.75%
Eggs
$4.02€3.60
$1.22$1.22
229.51%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.94€11.59
$4.18$4.18
209.57%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$7.77€6.97
$3.41$3.41
127.86%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.76€15.92
$11.56$11.56
53.63%
Apples(1kg)
$2.30€2.06
$0.94$0.94
144.68%
Banana(1kg)
$1.73€1.55
$1.49$1.49
16.11%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.86€1.66
$0.75$0.75
148.00%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.59€2.32
$0.64$0.64
304.69%
Potato(1kg)
$1.82€1.63
$0.59$0.59
208.47%
Onion(1kg)
$1.97€1.76
$0.49$0.49
302.04%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.47€1.32
$0.59$0.59
149.15%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72€0.65
$0.21$0.21
242.86%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
-
$0.72$0.72
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.48$0.48
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.37$1.37
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58€5.90
$2.68$2.68
145.52%
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
Kish
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.33€2.09
$0.16$0.16
1356.25%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.68€40.04
$9.47$9.47
371.81%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.85€3.45
$0.40$0.40
862.50%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.07€0.96
$0.32$0.32
234.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.46€14.75
$2.68$2.68
514.18%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.20€1.97
$0.09$0.09
2344.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K€30.6K
$51.9K$51.9K
-34.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K€34.7K
$39.6K$39.6K
-2.29%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Kish
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$161€144
$11.21$11.21
1338.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41€16.50
$1.79$1.79
928.49%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74€29.34
$3.63$3.63
801.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Kish
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.55€39.92
$19.75$19.75
125.57%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10€17.11
$13.18$13.18
44.92%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60€8.60
$2.01$2.01
377.61%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Kish
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$668€598
$121$121
449.98%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$17.6K€15.8K
$2,576$2,576
583.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Kish
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102€91.4
$22.56$22.56
352.22%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46€39.85
$28.77$28.77
54.54%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$98.5€88.3
$92.4$92.4
6.59%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124€111
$74.9$74.9
65.22%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Kish
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,608€1,441
$289$289
456.92%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,190€1,066
$212$212
461.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,812€2,520
$808$808
247.99%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,013€1,804
$349$349
476.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,839€7,025
$1,302$1,302
502.04%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,576€4,100
$548$548
735.62%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Kish
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,575€1,411
$411$411
283.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.85
24.3
-84.16%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026
Last update for Kish: October 25, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K 53.8%
Kish
$212 38.2% ↓ 82.2%$978
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272 12.3%
Kish
$116 20.9% ↓ 57.4%$156
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$243 11%
Kish
$77 13.8% ↓ 68.4%$166
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212 9.6%
Kish
$17 3% ↓ 92.2%$196
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166 7.5%
Kish
$98 17.7% ↓ 40.7%$68
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64 2.9%
Kish
$24 4.3% ↓ 62.7%$40
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$63 2.9%
Kish
$12 2.2% ↓ 80.8%$51
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$2K 46.4%
Kish
$349 29.3% ↓ 82.7%$1.7K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$649 15%
Kish
$286 24% ↓ 56%$364
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$801 18.5%
Kish
$236 19.8% ↓ 70.6%$565
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$231 5.3%
Kish
$18 1.5% ↓ 92%$212
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$369 8.5%
Kish
$219 18.3% ↓ 40.7%$150
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$147 3.4%
Kish
$61 5.1% ↓ 58.6%$86
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$131 3%
Kish
$25 2.1% ↓ 81.2%$106
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $289 in Kish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays about 3.8 times 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 in Lisbon vs $16 in Kish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $116 per month, with Kish cheaper across the board.
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 Kish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Kish?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $556 in Kish, so Kish is about 75% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Kish?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 3.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Kish?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $289 in Kish. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 135% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city has cheaper restaurants?
Dining out is cheaper in Kish – a meal for two runs $16 versus $62 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Which city is more doable on $1,200 per month?
At $556 in Kish versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kish but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kish the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Kish?
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.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Kish?
Expats usually find Kish gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.