Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Qalyub

For one person, living is cheaper in Qalyub: $451 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon, Portugal
Qalyub, Egypt
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Qalyub
🇪🇬 Egypt
$451
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Qalyub

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $451 in Qalyub.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Qalyub $451

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $740 in Qalyub.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Qalyub $740

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,028 in Qalyub.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Qalyub $1,028

Living in Lisbon is roughly 388% more expensive than in Qalyub, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Qalyub is 67% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Qalyub
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.21
$4.33 E£239
293.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.6
$19.25 E£1,063
223.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.83
$4.73 E£262
132.98%
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.79
$1.32 E£72.8
136.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$0.29 E£16.27
682.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.56
$0.13 E£7.31
1238.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.06
$1.32 E£72.7
159.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.34
$2.29 E£127
63.32%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Qalyub
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.05
$0.82 E£45.28
42.68%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$0.70 E£38.92
165.71%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.38
$0.59 E£32.61
161.02%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.63
$1.13 E£62.2
259.29%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.53
$3.80 E£210
239.74%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.05
$4.35 E£240
81.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.75
$9.12 E£504
93.42%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.02
$1.54 E£85.2
46.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.56
$0.78 E£43.26
124.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.69
$0.57 E£31.25
231.58%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.28
$0.33 E£18.10
675.76%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.65
$0.24 E£13.25
670.83%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.76
$0.32 E£17.89
515.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$0.25 E£13.70
480.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.20 E£10.90
285.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.99
$1.93 E£107
247.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.06
$5.77 E£319
-1.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
$1.19 E£65.9
15.13%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.89
$2.21 E£122
-4.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Qalyub
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$0.20 E£11.02
1060.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.65
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.52
$0.40 E£22.02
887.50%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.94
$0.20 E£11.10
425.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.31
$1.20 E£66.2
1329.17%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.96
$0.42 E£23.46
421.43%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.2K
$32.3K E£1.8M
4.52%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.2K
$26.9K E£1.5M
42.47%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Qalyub
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$14.31 E£791
1044.72%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.49
$6.72 E£371
175.00%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.42
$13.08 E£723
151.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Qalyub
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.93
$16.40 E£906
179.70%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.67
$0.91 E£50.5
1952.75%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.70
$2.77 E£153
251.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Qalyub
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €611
$86.6 E£4,786
689.62%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$2,104 E£116.2K
737.79%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Qalyub
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.6
$33.54 E£1,853
209.30%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.23
$45.09 E£2,491
2.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €89.0
$117 E£6,439
-14.42%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$56.0 E£3,094
122.68%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Qalyub
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,418
$132 E£7,289
1104.57%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,043
$76.8 E£4,241
1423.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,544
$251 E£13.9K
1033.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,779
$144 E£7,959
1283.62%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,955
$752 E£41.5K
936.24%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,943
$357 E£19.7K
1138.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Qalyub
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,428
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
16.21
-76.25%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Qalyub
$77 93.4% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Qalyub
$126 54% $148
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Qalyub
$78 68.7% $170
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Qalyub
$34 84.2% $181
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Qalyub
$113 32.9% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Qalyub
$22 66.4% $43
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Qalyub
$2.2 * 96.5% $61

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 $1,589 in Lisbon and $132 in Qalyub. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62 in Lisbon vs $19 in Qalyub for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $126 per month, with Qalyub cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇪🇬 Qalyub
🕒 Local time
06:17 6:17 AM
09:17 9:17 AM
3 h ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
109,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EGP, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 0.892 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Egyptian Pound exchange rates as of October 26, 2026: 1 USD = 55.25 EGP (100 EGP = 1.81 USD). 1 EUR = 61.99 EGP (100 EGP = 1.61 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Qalyub 3,790 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Qalyub

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 Qalyub: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Qalyub?
Lisbon and Qalyub differ by about 388% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $451 including rent). Qalyub is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
What salary covers living expenses in Lisbon compared to Qalyub?
You’d need roughly $3,302 in Lisbon and $677 in Qalyub 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Qalyub?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $132 in Qalyub. 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 118% 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 Qalyub?
All in, you’ll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $451 in Qalyub – a 388% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Which city is more doable on $1,000 per month?
At $451 in Qalyub versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Qalyub but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Qalyub the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Qalyub?
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.

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