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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $449 in Qalyub.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $720 in Qalyub.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $991 in Qalyub.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Qalyub is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$3.61 E£187

340.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$16.06 E£832

303.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$4.69 E£243

124.09%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.50 E£77.9

91.33%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.31 E£16.28

622.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.12 E£6.35

1150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.27 E£65.7

174.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.70 E£140

43.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.84 E£43.55

35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.59 E£30.61

196.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.67 E£34.53

162.69%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.44 E£74.4

123.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$3.38 E£175

299.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.26 E£221

85.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$8.42 E£436

88.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.46 E£75.7

58.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$0.57 E£29.55

198.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.43 E£22.08

367.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.36 E£18.90

583.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.41 E£21.09

348.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.40 E£20.70

400.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.24 E£12.50

704.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.19 E£9.80

315.79%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$1.95 E£101

238.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.62 E£291

1.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.22 E£63.3

12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.76 E£91.4

68.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.18 E£9.38

1216.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.39 E£19.95

1000.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.29 E£14.99

182.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$0.96 E£49.52

1806.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.30 E£15.76

586.67%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$35.0K E£1.8M

-2.12%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$30.2K E£1.6M

30.27%

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

$148 €127

$11.14 E£577

1227.38%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$5.59 E£290

267.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$9.91 E£514

299.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$22.38 E£1,159

113.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$3.01 E£156

204.98%

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

$614 €528

$88.0 E£4,556

598.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$1,830 E£94.8K

777.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$27.74 E£1,437

277.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$44.04 E£2,281

-4.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$107 E£5,555

-12.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$50.1 E£2,597

138.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$193 E£10.0K

742.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$99.6 E£5,158

1160.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$309 E£16.0K

880.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$178 E£9,246

1031.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$776 E£40.2K

905.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$408 E£21.1K

947.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

16.67

-77.14%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $193 in Qalyub. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $16.00 in Qalyub for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $120 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 ($2,210 vs $449 including rent). Qalyub is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $673 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $193 in Qalyub. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 125% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $449 in Qalyub – a 393% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $449 in Qalyub versus $2,210 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.