For one person, living is cheaper in Kota: $338 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $22,500 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 Kota actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $338 in Kota.
Lisbon $2,210
Kota $338
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,275 in Lisbon versus $539 in Kota.
Lisbon $3,275
Kota $539
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,341 in Lisbon versus $739 in Kota.
Lisbon $4,341
Kota $739
🌍
Living in Lisbon is roughly 554% more expensive than in Kota, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Kota is 75% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Kota
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.65€14.91
$2.05₹195
712.20%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.7€55.3
$7.94₹754
677.58%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$11.36€10.17
$2.69₹255
322.30%
Cappuccino
$2.97€2.66
$0.70₹66.6
324.29%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29€2.05
$0.36₹33.93
536.11%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74€1.56
$0.19₹17.71
815.79%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.40€3.05
$1.61₹153
111.18%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.31€2.96
$3.23₹307
2.48%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Kota
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.16€1.04
$0.61₹57.5
90.16%
White Bread(500g)
$1.91€1.71
$0.44₹42.20
334.09%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.51€1.35
$0.68₹64.8
122.06%
Eggs
$4.02€3.60
$0.83₹78.9
384.34%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$12.94€11.59
$4.41₹418
193.42%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$7.77€6.96
$2.66₹253
192.11%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.76€15.91
-
-
Apples(1kg)
$2.30€2.06
$1.55₹147
48.39%
Banana(1kg)
$1.73€1.55
$0.49₹46.13
253.06%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.86€1.66
$0.67₹63.9
177.61%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.59€2.32
$0.41₹38.58
531.71%
Potato(1kg)
$1.82€1.63
$0.35₹33.55
420.00%
Onion(1kg)
$1.97€1.76
$0.40₹38.24
392.50%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.47€1.32
$0.31₹29.06
374.19%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.72€0.65
$0.28₹26.29
157.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.58€5.90
$4.21₹399
56.29%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.61€5.02
$7.66₹728
-26.76%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.36€1.22
$1.54₹146
-11.69%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14€1.91
$1.86₹177
15.05%
Buffalo Round(or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat)(1kg)
-
$4.82₹458
-
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Kota
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.33€2.09
$0.51₹48.25
356.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.68€40.01
$25.77₹2,447
73.38%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.85€3.45
$0.33₹31.39
1066.67%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$1.07€0.96
$0.22₹20.92
386.36%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$16.46€14.74
$1.06₹101
1452.83%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.20€1.97
$1.12₹106
96.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K€30.6K
$11.3K₹1.1M
202.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.7K€34.7K
$17.2K₹1.6M
125.36%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Kota
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$161€144
$13.27₹1,260
1114.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.41€16.49
$2.58₹245
613.57%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.74€29.32
$6.15₹584
432.36%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Kota
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.55€39.90
$10.33₹981
331.27%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.10€17.10
$4.26₹404
348.36%
Cinema Ticket
$9.60€8.60
$3.18₹302
201.89%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Kota
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$668€598
$34.18₹3,246
1853.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$17.6K€15.8K
$655₹62.2K
2588.37%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Kota
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102€91.4
$22.28₹2,116
357.90%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.46€39.82
$33.09₹3,142
34.36%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$98.5€88.2
$34.97₹3,320
181.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$124€111
$20.80₹1,975
494.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Kota
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,608€1,440
$135₹12.8K
1090.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,190€1,066
$79.1₹7,507
1405.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,812€2,519
$248₹23.6K
1031.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,013€1,803
$175₹16.6K
1050.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,839€7,021
$558₹52.9K
1305.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,576€4,098
$344₹32.7K
1229.26%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Kota
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,575€1,411
$422₹40.1K
273.22%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.85
7.5
-48.67%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026
Last update for Kota: October 26, 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%
Kota
$79 23.4% ↓ 93.4%$1.1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$272 12.3%
Kota
$92 27.1% ↓ 66.4%$181
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$243 11%
Kota
$50 14.7% ↓ 79.6%$193
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$212 9.6%
Kota
$22 6.5% ↓ 89.6%$190
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166 7.5%
Kota
$50 14.8% ↓ 69.9%$116
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64 2.9%
Kota
$17 4.9% ↓ 73.8%$47
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$63 2.9%
Kota
$29 8.6% ↓ 53.7%$34
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$2K 46.4%
Kota
$175 23.7% ↓ 91.3%$1.8K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$649 15%
Kota
$195 26.4% ↓ 70%$454
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$801 18.5%
Kota
$136 18.4% ↓ 83%$665
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$231 5.3%
Kota
$25 3.3% ↓ 89.3%$206
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$369 8.5%
Kota
$111 15% ↓ 69.9%$258
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$147 3.4%
Kota
$38 5.1% ↓ 74.3%$109
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$131 3%
Kota
$59 8.1% ↓ 54.6%$72
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,608 in Lisbon and $135 in Kota. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays about 3.7 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 $8 in Kota for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $272 vs $92 per month, with Kota 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 Kota: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Kota?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,210 in Lisbon and $338 in Kota, so Kota is about 85% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Kota?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 3.7 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 Kota?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,608 in Lisbon versus $135 in Kota. 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 197% 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 Kota – a meal for two runs $8 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 $338 in Kota versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Kota but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kota the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Kota?
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 Kota?
Expats usually find Kota gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.