Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Makhachkala Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Makhachkala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Lisbon versus $966 in Makhachkala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,328 in Lisbon versus $1,476 in Makhachkala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,397 in Lisbon versus $1,987 in Makhachkala.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 134% more expensive than Makhachkala, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Makhachkala is 28% below.

Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.82 โ‚ฌ13.46
$15.62 โ‚ฝ1,188
1.28%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$64.4 โ‚ฌ54.8
$38.69 โ‚ฝ2,943
66.43%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.37 โ‚ฌ8.82
$5.19 โ‚ฝ395
99.81%
Cappuccino
$2.89 โ‚ฌ2.46
$3.24 โ‚ฝ246
-10.80%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 โ‚ฌ1.90
$0.84 โ‚ฝ63.6
165.48%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.55 โ‚ฌ1.32
$0.35 โ‚ฝ26.81
342.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.38 โ‚ฌ2.88
$1.37 โ‚ฝ104
146.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.90 โ‚ฌ3.32
$2.57 โ‚ฝ195
51.75%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 โ‚ฌ0.96
$1.51 โ‚ฝ115
-25.83%
White Bread (500g)
$1.80 โ‚ฌ1.53
$0.65 โ‚ฝ49.55
176.92%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.75 โ‚ฌ1.49
$1.38 โ‚ฝ105
26.81%
Eggs
$3.17 โ‚ฌ2.70
$1.38 โ‚ฝ105
129.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.50 โ‚ฌ11.49
$2.99 โ‚ฝ227
351.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.79 โ‚ฌ6.63
$4.81 โ‚ฝ366
61.95%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.65 โ‚ฌ13.32
$5.05 โ‚ฝ384
209.90%
Apples (1kg)
$2.28 โ‚ฌ1.94
$1.82 โ‚ฝ138
25.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.71 โ‚ฌ1.46
$1.77 โ‚ฝ134
-3.39%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.93 โ‚ฌ1.65
$2.80 โ‚ฝ213
-31.07%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.52 โ‚ฌ2.15
$1.91 โ‚ฝ145
31.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.79 โ‚ฌ1.52
$0.82 โ‚ฝ62.2
118.29%
Onion (1kg)
$2.05 โ‚ฌ1.74
$0.49 โ‚ฝ36.98
318.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.94 โ‚ฌ1.65
$2.48 โ‚ฝ189
-21.77%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.81 โ‚ฌ0.69
$0.60 โ‚ฝ45.39
35.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.65 โ‚ฌ5.66
$3.23 โ‚ฝ245
105.88%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.79 โ‚ฌ4.92
$8.61 โ‚ฝ655
-32.75%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.33 โ‚ฌ1.14
$1.00 โ‚ฝ76.3
33.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.91 โ‚ฌ2.47
$1.86 โ‚ฝ142
56.45%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 โ‚ฌ2.00
$0.42 โ‚ฝ32.02
459.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$45.70 โ‚ฌ38.89
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.20 โ‚ฌ3.58
$2.23 โ‚ฝ170
88.34%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.81 โ‚ฌ0.69
$0.22 โ‚ฝ16.69
268.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$18.70 โ‚ฌ15.91
$6.50 โ‚ฝ494
187.69%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 โ‚ฌ1.78
$0.71 โ‚ฝ53.9
194.37%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.6K โ‚ฌ29.5K
$35.5K โ‚ฝ2.7M
-2.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.7K โ‚ฌ33.7K
$30.0K โ‚ฝ2.3M
32.31%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$146 โ‚ฌ124
$54.3 โ‚ฝ4,130
168.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$20.84 โ‚ฌ17.73
$6.32 โ‚ฝ481
229.75%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$39.78 โ‚ฌ33.85
$9.94 โ‚ฝ756
300.20%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$48.58 โ‚ฌ41.35
$47.60 โ‚ฝ3,620
2.06%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.85 โ‚ฌ16.04
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.07 โ‚ฌ7.72
$5.02 โ‚ฝ382
80.68%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$618 โ‚ฌ526
$169 โ‚ฝ12.9K
264.87%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.2K โ‚ฌ13.8K
$6,894 โ‚ฝ524.3K
134.43%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$105 โ‚ฌ89.0
$103 โ‚ฝ7,818
1.70%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$40.54 โ‚ฌ34.50
$44.15 โ‚ฝ3,358
-8.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.8 โ‚ฌ79.8
$104 โ‚ฝ7,877
-9.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 โ‚ฌ104
$145 โ‚ฝ11.1K
-15.71%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,604 โ‚ฌ1,365
$498 โ‚ฝ37.9K
221.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,260 โ‚ฌ1,073
$304 โ‚ฝ23.1K
314.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,065 โ‚ฌ2,608
$700 โ‚ฝ53.2K
337.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,008 โ‚ฌ1,709
$411 โ‚ฝ31.3K
388.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,702 โ‚ฌ6,555
$1,683 โ‚ฝ128.0K
357.72%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,367 โ‚ฌ3,716
$1,217 โ‚ฝ92.6K
258.81%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,638 โ‚ฌ1,394
$621 โ‚ฝ47.3K
163.60%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.81
11.33
-66.37%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Makhachkala: April 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $498 in Makhachkala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 164% 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: $64 in Lisbon vs $39 in Makhachkala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $168 per month, with Makhachkala 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 Makhachkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and Makhachkala?
Lisbon and Makhachkala differ by about 134% in total monthly costs ($2,258 vs $966 including rent). Makhachkala is meaningfully more affordable โ€“ a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Makhachkala?
Lisbon pays 164% more on average, 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 Makhachkala?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $498 in Makhachkala. 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 60% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more expensive overall: Lisbon or Makhachkala?
All in, you'll spend $2,258 per month in Lisbon versus $966 in Makhachkala โ€“ a 134% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,500 per month?
At $966 in Makhachkala versus $2,258 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Makhachkala but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Makhachkala the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Makhachkala?
Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better โ€“ the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.
Is Lisbon or Makhachkala safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Makhachkala are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Makhachkala?
Expats usually find Makhachkala gentler on the wallet โ€“ expenses run 134% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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