Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Qena Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Qena

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $491 in Qena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $778 in Qena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,064 in Qena.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 364% more expensive than in Qena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Qena is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$3.84 E£193

310.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$15.69 E£789

304.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$5.90 E£297

77.12%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.65 E£83.2

76.36%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.35 E£17.54

554.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.15 E£7.64

900.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.03 E£102

75.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.62 E£132

51.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$0.93 E£46.99

16.13%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.57 E£28.84

208.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.70 E£35.17

142.86%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.18 E£109

49.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$3.55 E£179

273.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$6.53 E£329

17.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$10.13 E£509

55.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.33 E£66.7

71.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$0.43 E£21.82

286.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.43 E£21.53

369.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$0.62 E£31.04

298.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.49 E£24.85

265.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.57 E£28.71

263.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.30 E£15.11

556.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.18 E£9.04

361.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$2.02 E£101

224.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$7.38 E£371

-24.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.20 E£60.6

10.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.77 E£88.9

70.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.21 E£10.32

980.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.42 E£21.00

907.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.15 E£7.55

466.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$1.97 E£99.0

855.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.33 E£16.54

512.12%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$17.4K E£874.0K

101.20%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$33.0K E£1.7M

20.14%

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

$148 €128

$25.92 E£1,304

470.72%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$6.45 E£324

218.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$12.50 E£629

216.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$21.89 E£1,101

120.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$3.50 E£176

160.00%

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

$615 €532

$97.9 E£4,924

527.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$590 E£29.7K

2660.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$11.18 E£563

808.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$19.37 E£974

117.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$107 E£5,393

-13.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$50.4 E£2,537

142.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$190 E£9,547

749.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$101 E£5,099

1136.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$312 E£15.7K

885.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$179 E£8,981

1040.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$842 E£42.3K

820.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$437 E£22.0K

880.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-61.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 27, 2026

Last update for Qena: July 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $190 in Qena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $16.00 in Qena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $145 per month, with Qena 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 Qena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Qena differ by about 364% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $491 including rent). Qena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $737 in Qena 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $190 in Qena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 84% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $491 in Qena – a 364% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $491 in Qena versus $2,280 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Qena but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Qena 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 Qena 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 Qena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 364% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.