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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $447 in Qalyub.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $729 in Qalyub.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,011 in Qalyub.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 413% more expensive than in Qalyub, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Qalyub is 67% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.17

$3.57 E£182

353.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.4

$15.77 E£805

301.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.03

$4.57 E£233

125.82%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.45 E£74.2

95.17%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.31 E£15.88

638.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.12 E£6.24

1216.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.27 E£64.6

167.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$2.71 E£138

48.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$0.86 E£44.06

26.74%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.59 E£30.09

196.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.70 E£35.69

151.43%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.45 E£74.1

118.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.54

$3.45 E£176

282.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.97

$4.23 E£216

88.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.59

$8.72 E£445

78.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.47 E£75.3

61.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.54 E£27.75

216.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.39 E£20.09

415.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.39 E£20.09

523.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.38 E£19.26

363.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.41 E£20.74

395.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.22 E£11.16

772.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.20 E£10.18

325.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$1.94 E£99.3

239.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.88

$6.01 E£307

-7.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.26 E£64.4

5.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.71 E£87.4

73.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.16 E£8.19

1325.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.06

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.42 E£21.27

907.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.31 E£15.93

161.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.13

$1.02 E£52.3

1707.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$0.33 E£17.04

530.30%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$36.0K E£1.8M

-3.76%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$29.9K E£1.5M

30.75%

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

$148 €130

$11.43 E£584

1195.28%

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

$20.46 €17.90

$5.70 E£291

258.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.61

$10.10 E£516

291.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.99

$22.10 E£1,129

117.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.27

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.07

$2.88 E£147

220.14%

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

$616 €539

$88.5 E£4,517

596.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,865 E£95.2K

781.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.9

$27.53 E£1,406

273.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.52

$43.53 E£2,223

-4.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.9

$107 E£5,451

-11.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$51.5 E£2,628

137.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,428

$193 E£9,850

746.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,078

$101 E£5,155

1120.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,711

$303 E£15.5K

921.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,777

$181 E£9,243

1022.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,851

$807 E£41.2K

869.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,840

$443 E£22.6K

890.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,406

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Qalyub: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $193 in Qalyub. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $16.00 in Qalyub for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $122 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 413% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $447 including rent). Qalyub 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 $670 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: $1,633 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 119% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $447 in Qalyub – a 413% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $447 in Qalyub versus $2,291 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 413% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.