Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mashhad Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Mashhad

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $859 in Mashhad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,281 in Mashhad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,703 in Mashhad.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 167% more expensive than in Mashhad, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Mashhad is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$5.50 IQD 7,205

194.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$35.68 IQD 46.7K

77.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$7.48 IQD 9,799

37.97%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.98 IQD 3,900

-5.03%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.39 IQD 512

487.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.22 IQD 284

618.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$3.38 IQD 4,423

0.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.94 IQD 3,849

37.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$1.32 IQD 1,735

-17.42%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.83 IQD 1,081

110.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.60 IQD 2,101

10.00%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$0.87 IQD 1,134

264.37%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$4.39 IQD 5,747

200.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$2.03 IQD 2,657

292.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$3.03 IQD 3,966

412.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$0.97 IQD 1,275

144.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.17 IQD 1,528

46.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.01 IQD 1,324

99.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.72 IQD 947

237.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.70 IQD 913

151.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.68 IQD 893

198.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.29 IQD 376

562.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.17 IQD 228

400.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$0.77 IQD 1,013

754.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$13.54 IQD 17.7K

-58.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.83 IQD 2,393

-27.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.10 IQD 2,748

41.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.37 IQD 484

516.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

$31.56 IQD 41.3K

45.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$3.91 IQD 5,114

8.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.54 IQD 2,018

-47.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$7.52 IQD 9,848

145.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.57 IQD 747

264.91%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$20.4K IQD 26.7M

70.14%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$19.6K IQD 25.7M

99.65%

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

$148 €130

$177 IQD 232.4K

-16.57%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$26.31 IQD 34.5K

-22.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$39.77 IQD 52.1K

-0.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$36.85 IQD 48.3K

30.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

$16.48 IQD 21.6K

12.86%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$7.62 IQD 9,977

21.00%

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

$616 €539

$166 IQD 216.8K

272.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$3,570 IQD 4.7M

360.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$28.86 IQD 37.8K

255.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$31.13 IQD 40.8K

34.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$65.2 IQD 85.4K

45.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$42.92 IQD 56.2K

184.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$247 IQD 322.8K

562.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$181 IQD 236.6K

582.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$584 IQD 764.5K

430.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$341 IQD 447.0K

495.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

5.67

-32.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $247 in Mashhad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $36.00 in Mashhad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $130 per month, with Mashhad 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 Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Mashhad differ by about 167% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $859 including rent). Mashhad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $1,289 in Mashhad to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $247 in Mashhad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $166 in Mashhad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 105% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $859 in Mashhad versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mashhad but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Mashhad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Mashhad 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 Mashhad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.