Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Qalyub Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Qalyub

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $469 in Qalyub.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $749 in Qalyub.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,028 in Qalyub.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 393% more expensive than in Qalyub, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Qalyub is 66% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$4.29 E£218

303.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$16.77 E£853

277.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.80

$4.78 E£243

138.28%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$1.36 E£69.4

134.56%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.32 E£16.25

665.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.14 E£6.88

1157.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$1.34 E£68.3

167.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.30 E£117

47.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$0.91 E£46.11

36.26%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.71 E£36.32

178.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.66 E£33.53

130.30%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.21 E£61.6

233.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$3.77 E£192

259.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$4.48 E£228

87.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$9.64 E£491

89.32%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.63 E£83.0

40.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$0.73 E£37.25

138.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$0.58 E£29.70

220.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$0.35 E£17.89

651.43%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.25 E£12.58

668.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.31 E£15.62

574.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.29 E£14.81

396.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.20 E£10.16

320.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$1.96 E£99.6

245.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$5.78 E£294

-1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.30 E£66.3

6.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.15 E£109

3.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.20 E£10.07

1100.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.40 E£20.35

942.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.20 E£10.07

470.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$1.60 E£81.6

1005.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$0.47 E£23.86

393.62%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$33.2K E£1.7M

6.48%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$28.9K E£1.5M

43.59%

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

$170 €146

$14.30 E£727

1091.12%

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

$19.34 €16.63

$7.36 E£375

162.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$13.74 E£699

144.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$19.22 E£978

150.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

$1.03 E£52.2

1832.04%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$2.89 E£147

243.25%

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

$717 €617

$85.9 E£4,372

734.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$2,192 E£111.5K

697.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$32.63 E£1,660

221.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.37

$44.97 E£2,287

4.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$118 E£6,028

-12.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$53.9 E£2,741

129.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$142 E£7,223

1080.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$80.1 E£4,075

1486.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$268 E£13.7K

1011.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$151 E£7,706

1215.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,729

$787 E£40.1K

893.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,005

$436 E£22.2K

967.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

16.21

-76.62%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $142 in Qalyub. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $17.00 in Qalyub for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $130 per month, with Qalyub 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 Qalyub: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Qalyub differ by about 393% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $469 including rent). Qalyub is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,474 in Lisbon and $704 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $142 in Qalyub. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 117% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $469 in Qalyub – a 393% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $469 in Qalyub versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $1,500 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.

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 Qalyub 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 Qalyub gentler on the wallet – expenses run 393% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.