For one person, living is cheaper in Qom: $436 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Qom actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $436 in Qom.
Lisbon $2,206
Qom $436
Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $847 in Qom.
Lisbon $3,276
Qom $847
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,257 in Qom.
Lisbon $4,346
Qom $1,257
🌍
Living in Lisbon is roughly 405% more expensive than in Qom, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.
📊
The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 63% above, Qom is 68% below.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Qom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.86€15.04
$3.05$3.05
452.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$61.0€54.5
$15.89$15.89
284.14%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$10.98€9.80
$3.91$3.91
180.82%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.52$0.52
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.48$1.48
-
Cappuccino
$3.05€2.72
$1.01$1.01
201.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.28€2.04
$0.41$0.41
456.10%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.68€1.50
$1.73$1.73
-2.89%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$3.44€3.07
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$3.91€3.48
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Qom
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$1.15€1.02
$0.53$0.53
116.98%
White Bread(500g)
$1.89€1.68
$0.62$0.62
204.84%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.50€1.34
$1.70$1.70
-11.76%
Eggs
$4.12€3.67
$1.02$1.02
303.92%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$13.01€11.60
$2.81$2.81
362.99%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$8.04€7.18
$3.13$3.13
156.87%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$17.89€15.96
$7.45$7.45
140.13%
Apples(1kg)
$2.27€2.03
$0.79$0.79
187.34%
Banana(1kg)
$1.74€1.56
$1.46$1.46
19.18%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.82€1.62
$0.99$0.99
83.84%
Tomato(1kg)
$2.69€2.40
$0.47$0.47
472.34%
Potato(1kg)
$1.77€1.58
$0.47$0.47
276.60%
Onion(1kg)
$1.94€1.73
$0.43$0.43
351.16%
Lettuce(1 head)
$1.46€1.31
$0.26$0.26
461.54%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.76€0.68
$0.26$0.26
192.31%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine(Mid-Range)
-
$0.77$0.77
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.47$0.47
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.48$1.48
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$6.66€5.94
$1.22$1.22
445.90%
Wine(Bottle)
$5.64€5.03
-
-
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.29€1.15
-
-
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.14€1.91
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Qom
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$2.30€2.05
$0.17$0.17
1252.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$44.02€39.26
$14.48$14.48
204.01%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$3.98€3.55
$0.26$0.26
1430.77%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.64€0.57
$0.25$0.25
156.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$18.93€16.88
$1.02$1.02
1755.88%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$2.28€2.03
$0.08$0.08
2750.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.4K€29.8K
$50.7K$50.7K
-34.23%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.5K€34.3K
$46.1K$46.1K
-16.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Qom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$158€141
$12.79$12.79
1136.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$17.54€15.64
$1.27$1.27
1281.10%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$31.18€27.82
$3.97$3.97
685.39%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Qom
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$44.64€39.82
$8.60$8.60
419.07%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.98€16.93
$9.86$9.86
92.49%
Cinema Ticket
$9.58€8.54
$0.98$0.98
877.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Qom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$674€601
$108$108
522.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$18.7K€16.7K
$2,623$2,623
614.12%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Qom
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$102€91.2
$15.29$15.29
568.35%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$45.90€40.94
$12.99$12.99
253.35%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$102€91.2
$100$100
1.78%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$122€109
$49.43$49.43
146.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Qom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$1,641€1,463
$237$237
592.14%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$1,187€1,059
$160$160
642.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$2,825€2,519
$578$578
388.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$2,018€1,800
$573$573
252.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$7,836€6,989
$885$885
785.12%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$4,701€4,193
$611$611
669.78%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Qom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$1,687€1,505
$216$216
682.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
3.82
20.33
-81.21%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026
Last update for Qom: October 31, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K 53.8%
Qom
$160 36.6% ↓ 86.5%$1K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$275 12.5%
Qom
$94 21.6% ↓ 65.7%$180
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$245 11.1%
Qom
$57 13% ↓ 76.8%$188
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$207 9.4%
Qom
$18 4.1% ↓ 91.3%$189
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168 7.6%
Qom
$80 18.4% ↓ 52.2%$87
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$64 2.9%
Qom
$11 2.4% ↓ 83.4%$53
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$60 2.7%
Qom
$17 3.8% ↓ 72.4%$44
🏠Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$2K 46.4%
Qom
$573 45.6% ↓ 71.6%$1.4K
🛒Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$655 15.1%
Qom
$231 18.4% ↓ 64.8%$424
🍽Eating Out
Lisbon
$804 18.5%
Qom
$191 15.2% ↓ 76.2%$613
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$224 5.2%
Qom
$19 1.5% ↓ 91.4%$205
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$372 8.6%
Qom
$178 14.2% ↓ 52.2%$194
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$147 3.4%
Qom
$31 2.5% ↓ 78.9%$116
🚌Getting Around
Lisbon
$125 2.9%
Qom
$34 2.7% ↓ 73.1%$92
Cost Breakdown
🏠A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $237 in Qom. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.
💰Lisbon pays about 7.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.
🛒Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $16 in Qom for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $94 per month, with Qom cheaper across the board.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
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 Qom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Qom?
Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,206 in Lisbon and $436 in Qom, so Qom is about 80% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Qom?
Average pay in Lisbon is about 7.8 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Qom?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $237 in Qom. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Qom?
Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $108 in Qom. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 191% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $800 per month?
At $436 in Qom versus $2,206 in Lisbon, a $800 budget is realistic in Qom but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Qom the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Qom?
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.
Is Lisbon or Qom safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Qom are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Qom?
Expats usually find Qom gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.