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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $493 in Qena.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $772 in Qena.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,052 in Qena.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 352% more expensive than Qena, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Qena is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$3.93 E£209

311.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$15.55 E£824

315.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$6.08 E£322

70.72%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.62 E£85.8

70.99%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.35 E£18.47

542.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.14 E£7.66

1021.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.02 E£107

72.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.64 E£140

51.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.00 E£53.2

8.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.58 E£30.64

200.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.71 E£37.54

145.07%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.08 E£110

52.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$3.40 E£180

295.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$6.43 E£341

24.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$9.82 E£520

63.85%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.34 E£70.8

70.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$0.43 E£22.93

300.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$0.42 E£22.48

361.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$0.62 E£32.70

309.68%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.49 E£26.19

273.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.54 E£28.51

277.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.30 E£15.97

560.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.20 E£10.64

325.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$1.93 E£102

254.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$7.46 E£396

-22.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.20 E£63.8

14.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.83 E£97.2

58.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.21 E£10.90

985.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.39 E£20.57

946.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.14 E£7.58

485.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$2.01 E£106

808.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$0.35 E£18.76

474.29%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$17.7K E£937.2K

99.46%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$32.9K E£1.7M

16.97%

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

$145 €124

$25.92 E£1,374

460.96%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$6.56 E£348

219.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$12.70 E£673

215.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$22.24 E£1,179

119.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$3.38 E£179

168.05%

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

$607 €519

$100 E£5,308

505.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$595 E£31.5K

2644.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$11.35 E£602

822.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$19.58 E£1,038

109.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$107 E£5,666

-12.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$50.4 E£2,669

135.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$192 E£10.2K

734.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$97.7 E£5,176

1165.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$305 E£16.1K

900.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$181 E£9,600

1035.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$667 E£35.4K

1055.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$368 E£19.5K

1060.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Qena: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $192 in Qena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $16.00 in Qena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $144 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 352% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $493 including rent). Qena is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $739 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $192 in Qena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 88% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $493 in Qena – a 352% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $493 in Qena versus $2,227 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 352% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.