Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shimla Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Shimla

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $337 in Shimla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $539 in Shimla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $742 in Shimla.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 566% more expensive than Shimla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Shimla is 75% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$1.78 ₹167

783.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$5.90 ₹554

970.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$3.56 ₹334

189.89%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$0.93 ₹87.2

202.15%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$0.31 ₹29.53

651.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.15 ₹14.11

906.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$1.62 ₹152

108.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$2.30 ₹216

70.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$0.75 ₹70.7

44.00%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$0.44 ₹41.38

297.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.64 ₹59.8

173.44%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$0.86 ₹80.3

260.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$4.36 ₹409

204.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$3.70 ₹347

112.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$1.97 ₹185

21.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$0.70 ₹65.5

145.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.82 ₹76.7

140.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$0.56 ₹52.3

355.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.35 ₹32.54

411.43%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.44 ₹41.34

347.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.22 ₹20.63

790.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.34 ₹31.54

147.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$4.46 ₹418

52.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$5.26 ₹494

11.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.69 ₹159

-18.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.25 ₹211

29.78%

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

$5.91 ₹555

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.22 ₹20.53

940.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$8.78 ₹824

433.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$0.83 ₹77.8

396.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$1.18 ₹110

1505.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.19 ₹111

75.63%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$15.0K ₹1.4M

134.89%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$19.7K ₹1.8M

101.77%

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

$150 €128

$19.05 ₹1,788

685.09%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$3.45 ₹324

493.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$7.69 ₹721

409.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$14.60 ₹1,370

240.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$7.20 ₹676

156.53%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$3.44 ₹323

167.44%

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

$624 €533

$46.07 ₹4,324

1255.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$2,352 ₹220.8K

576.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$33.31 ₹3,127

206.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$28.80 ₹2,704

41.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$46.18 ₹4,334

107.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$29.10 ₹2,731

316.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$94.6 ₹8,878

1647.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$58.3 ₹5,467

2016.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$223 ₹20.9K

1267.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$138 ₹13.0K

1391.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$955 ₹89.6K

724.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$515 ₹48.3K

736.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

$577 ₹54.1K

171.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

8.25

-53.82%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Shimla: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $95 in Shimla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 172% 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 in Lisbon vs $6 in Shimla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $100 per month, with Shimla 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 Shimla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Shimla differ by about 566% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $337 including rent). Shimla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 172% more on average, 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: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $94.6 in Shimla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $46.07 in Shimla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 170% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $337 in Shimla versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Shimla but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Shimla 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 Shimla 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 Shimla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 566% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.