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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $336 in Shimla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $540 in Shimla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $744 in Shimla.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 574% more expensive than Shimla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Shimla is 75% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$1.69 ₹161

843.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$5.85 ₹556

983.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$3.44 ₹327

201.74%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$0.95 ₹90.8

193.68%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$0.31 ₹29.95

654.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.17 ₹15.75

823.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$1.59 ₹151

115.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.35 ₹224

66.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.70 ₹66.1

54.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.41 ₹39.39

331.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$0.68 ₹64.4

151.47%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$0.93 ₹88.5

238.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$4.38 ₹417

212.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$3.70 ₹352

116.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.98 ₹188

15.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$0.75 ₹71.7

118.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$0.76 ₹72.8

155.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$0.56 ₹52.9

348.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$0.37 ₹35.35

383.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.44 ₹41.53

356.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.22 ₹20.81

795.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.34 ₹32.12

147.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$4.45 ₹423

52.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$6.73 ₹640

-15.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.75 ₹166

-20.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$2.32 ₹221

30.17%

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

$5.86 ₹558

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$0.24 ₹22.89

845.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$8.93 ₹849

408.85%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$0.79 ₹75.2

443.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$1.19 ₹113

1436.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.19 ₹113

67.23%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$15.0K ₹1.4M

133.12%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$19.7K ₹1.9M

100.89%

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

$146 €126

$19.70 ₹1,874

642.03%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$3.54 ₹337

477.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$7.79 ₹740

400.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$14.61 ₹1,389

235.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$7.04 ₹669

167.47%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$3.45 ₹328

175.94%

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

$608 €524

$46.45 ₹4,418

1209.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$2,348 ₹223.3K

603.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$34.14 ₹3,247

204.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$28.64 ₹2,723

47.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$47.27 ₹4,496

95.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$29.50 ₹2,805

306.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$93.2 ₹8,865

1639.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$57.5 ₹5,464

2106.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$225 ₹21.4K

1256.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$139 ₹13.2K

1344.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$958 ₹91.1K

699.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$522 ₹49.7K

729.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$546 ₹51.9K

190.38%

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Shimla: June 9, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $93.2 in Shimla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 190% 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 $6.00 in Shimla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $103 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 574% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $336 including rent). Shimla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 190% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $93.2 in Shimla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $46.45 in Shimla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 161% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $336 in Shimla versus $2,263 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 574% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.