Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shillong Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shillong

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $443 in Shillong.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $684 in Shillong.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $924 in Shillong.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 417% more expensive than in Shillong, driven mainly by Eating Out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.15

$1.43 ₹138

1032.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.3

$10.30 ₹992

514.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.02

$4.71 ₹454

119.11%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.47

$1.22 ₹118

131.97%

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

$2.29 €2.00

$0.36 ₹34.74

536.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.14 ₹13.19

1028.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.97

$1.43 ₹138

137.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.52

$3.28 ₹316

22.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.95

$0.61 ₹58.7

78.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.36 ₹35.09

386.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.52 ₹50.1

238.46%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$0.82 ₹79.2

286.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.53

$4.43 ₹427

197.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.96

$3.31 ₹319

140.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.57

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.93 ₹186

22.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$0.75 ₹71.8

128.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.75

$0.97 ₹93.5

107.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.12

$0.55 ₹53.3

341.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.29 ₹27.52

506.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.36 ₹34.64

463.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.37 ₹35.51

418.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.18 ₹17.51

372.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.75

$4.13 ₹398

59.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.87

$4.75 ₹457

17.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.16

$1.49 ₹143

-10.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.78 ₹267

6.83%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$4.36 ₹419

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.30 ₹29.21

660.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.01

$8.48 ₹816

439.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.69

$0.80 ₹77.1

428.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.11

$1.43 ₹138

1189.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.19 ₹115

74.79%

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

$34.7K €30.3K

$13.7K ₹1.3M

153.06%

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

$39.2K €34.2K

$17.7K ₹1.7M

120.73%

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

$148 €129

$40.08 ₹3,859

269.39%

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

$20.46 €17.88

$3.44 ₹331

494.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.56

$5.68 ₹547

596.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €41.93

$4.53 ₹436

959.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.25

$5.89 ₹567

215.79%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.06

$2.87 ₹276

221.25%

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

$616 €538

$32.21 ₹3,101

1812.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$1,919 ₹184.8K

756.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €89.7

$25.14 ₹2,420

308.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.47

$35.50 ₹3,418

17.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €82.8

$46.95 ₹4,520

101.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$42.64 ₹4,105

186.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,426

$253 ₹24.4K

544.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,077

$156 ₹15.0K

688.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,707

$464 ₹44.7K

567.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,775

$318 ₹30.6K

538.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,842

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,835

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,404

$441 ₹42.5K

264.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

7.38

-48.37%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Shillong: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $253 in Shillong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 264% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $10.00 in Shillong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $93.0 per month, with Shillong 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 Shillong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Shillong differ by about 417% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $443 including rent). Shillong is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 264% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $253 in Shillong. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $32.21 in Shillong. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 186% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $443 in Shillong versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Shillong but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Shillong 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 Shillong 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 Shillong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 417% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.