Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Makhachkala

For one person, living is cheaper in Makhachkala: $1,009 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Makhachkala
🇷🇺 Russia
$1,009
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Makhachkala

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 Makhachkala actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $1,009 in Makhachkala.

  • Lisbon $2,223
  • Makhachkala $1,009

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $1,562 in Makhachkala.

  • Lisbon $3,271
  • Makhachkala $1,562

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $2,115 in Makhachkala.

  • Lisbon $4,319
  • Makhachkala $2,115

Living in Lisbon is roughly 120% more expensive than in Makhachkala, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Makhachkala is 25% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.50 €14.67
$10.20 ₽851
61.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.3 €54.5
$31.73 ₽2,648
93.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.27 €10.03
$5.48 ₽457
105.66%
Cappuccino
$3.06 €2.72
$2.65 ₽221
15.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.26 €2.01
$1.17 ₽98.0
93.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.73 €1.54
$0.61 ₽51.1
183.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.39 €3.02
$1.94 ₽162
74.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.40 €3.02
$2.94 ₽246
15.65%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 €1.00
$1.10 ₽91.6
1.82%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.65
$0.71 ₽58.9
161.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.53 €1.36
$1.41 ₽118
8.51%
Eggs
$3.96 €3.53
$1.53 ₽127
158.82%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.76 €11.35
$10.99 ₽917
16.11%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.02
$5.39 ₽450
46.57%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.97 €15.09
$11.03 ₽921
53.85%
Apples (1kg)
$2.27 €2.02
$1.70 ₽142
33.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.75 ₽146
-
Oranges (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$1.75 ₽146
5.71%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.57 €2.28
$2.78 ₽232
-7.55%
Potato (1kg)
$1.86 €1.65
$0.81 ₽67.4
129.63%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 €1.80
$0.61 ₽51.1
231.15%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.44 €1.28
$1.23 ₽103
17.07%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.82 €0.73
$0.74 ₽61.8
10.81%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.56 €5.83
$3.33 ₽278
97.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.62 €5.00
$7.92 ₽661
-29.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.28 €1.14
$1.10 ₽91.4
16.36%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.07 €1.84
$2.02 ₽168
2.48%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.35 €2.09
$0.54 ₽44.80
335.19%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.18 €39.30
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.99 €3.55
$2.70 ₽225
47.78%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.09 €0.97
$0.40 ₽33.48
172.50%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$16.64 €14.81
$5.71 ₽477
191.42%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.28 €2.03
$0.84 ₽70.2
171.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.7K €30.0K
$41.0K ₽3.4M
-17.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.3K €35.0K
$37.4K ₽3.1M
5.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 €149
$110 ₽9,172
52.42%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.80 €16.72
$5.49 ₽458
242.44%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$33.09 €29.43
$8.44 ₽705
292.06%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.01 €40.93
$35.62 ₽2,973
29.17%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$19.19 €17.07
$23.57 ₽1,967
-18.58%
Cinema Ticket
$9.84 €8.75
$6.13 ₽512
60.52%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$677 €602
$348 ₽29.1K
94.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$16.9K €15.1K
$5,288 ₽441.3K
220.00%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$101 €90.1
$80.1 ₽6,688
26.34%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.76 €40.70
$54.1 ₽4,518
-15.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100.0 €88.9
$102 ₽8,539
-2.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$123 €109
$112 ₽9,353
9.56%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,614 €1,436
$460 ₽38.4K
251.13%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 €1,065
$315 ₽26.3K
279.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,862 €2,545
$891 ₽74.4K
221.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,990 €1,770
$556 ₽46.4K
257.97%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,577 €6,740
$2,226 ₽185.8K
240.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,307 €3,831
$1,492 ₽124.5K
188.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Makhachkala
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,588 €1,412
$622 ₽51.9K
155.20%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
21.45
-82.05%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Makhachkala: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Makhachkala
$315 73.7% $882
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$269
Makhachkala
$206 23.7% $64
Eating Out
Lisbon
$242
Makhachkala
$153 37% $90
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$219
Makhachkala
$124 43.6% $96
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$166
Makhachkala
$157 5.7% $9.5
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$66
Makhachkala
$48 27.1% $18
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Makhachkala
$6.9 * 89.1% $56

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,614 in Lisbon and $460 in Makhachkala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 155% 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: $61.0 in Lisbon vs $32.00 in Makhachkala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $206 per month, with Makhachkala cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇷🇺 Makhachkala
🕒 Local time
09:41 9:41 AM
11:41 11:41 AM
2 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
604,266
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Makhachkala 4,700 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Makhachkala

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 Makhachkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Makhachkala?
Lisbon and Makhachkala differ by about 120% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $1,009 including rent). Makhachkala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Makhachkala?
Average pay runs 155% higher in Lisbon, 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 Makhachkala?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,614 in Lisbon versus $460 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 31% 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 $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $1,009 in Makhachkala – a 120% 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 $1,009 in Makhachkala versus $2,223 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 – 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 – expenses run 120% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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