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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $464 in Mashhad.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $793 in Mashhad.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,122 in Mashhad.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 376% more expensive than Mashhad, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$3.06 $3.06

419.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$20.05 $20.05

223.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$4.87 $4.87

115.81%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.86 $0.86

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.11 $1.11

158.56%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.43 $0.43

420.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.44 $0.44

240.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.56 $0.56

103.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.27 $0.27

548.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.88 $1.88

-6.38%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.10 $1.10

192.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$2.21 $2.21

510.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$2.39 $2.39

230.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$10.33 $10.33

53.63%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$0.92 $0.92

151.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.27 $1.27

33.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.87 $0.87

131.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.62 $0.62

296.77%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.44 $0.44

318.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.49 $0.49

308.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.49 $0.49

293.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.32 $0.32

146.88%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.88 $0.88

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 $0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$2.64 $2.64

150.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.19 $0.19

1147.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$4.37 $4.37

942.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.34 $0.34

1161.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.48 $0.48

70.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$2.05 $2.05

792.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.84 $0.84

145.24%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$61.0K $61.0K

-43.78%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$71.7K $71.7K

-45.22%

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

$148 €127

$13.65 $13.65

983.30%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$2.35 $2.35

773.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$5.66 $5.66

599.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$18.93 $18.93

152.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$14.79 $14.79

27.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$2.05 $2.05

347.80%

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

$614 €529

$45.93 $45.93

1236.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$630 $630

2446.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$22.47 $22.47

365.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$36.92 $36.92

13.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$93.0 $93.0

1.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$85.1 $85.1

40.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$215 $215

658.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$146 $146

760.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$467 $467

549.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$325 $325

521.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$1,141 $1,141

583.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$692 $692

517.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$251 $251

537.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

20.5

-81.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $215 in Mashhad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 538% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $20.00 in Mashhad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $97.0 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 376% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $464 including rent). Mashhad is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 538% more on average, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $215 in Mashhad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $45.93 in Mashhad. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 179% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $464 in Mashhad versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 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 376% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.