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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $307 in Shimla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $509 in Shimla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $711 in Shimla.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 647% more expensive than in Shimla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Shimla is 78% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$1.55 ₹149

1034.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$5.28 ₹506

1090.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$3.11 ₹298

272.35%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$0.88 ₹84.7

252.27%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.38 ₹36.73

555.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.10 ₹9.30

1640.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.56 ₹150

123.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.14 ₹205

60.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$0.63 ₹60.4

82.54%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.37 ₹35.50

416.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.59 ₹56.4

154.24%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$0.84 ₹80.6

373.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$4.13 ₹396

221.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$3.22 ₹309

148.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.78 ₹171

32.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.74 ₹71.5

136.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$0.68 ₹65.0

172.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$0.45 ₹43.04

466.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.30 ₹28.86

513.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.33 ₹32.03

536.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$0.20 ₹19.14

645.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.27 ₹25.68

203.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$3.38 ₹325

110.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$8.29 ₹795

-28.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.53 ₹147

-14.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.09 ₹201

1.91%

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

$3.79 ₹364

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.22 ₹21.11

972.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

$7.98 ₹766

484.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$1.03 ₹98.6

296.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.30 ₹28.67

280.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$1.02 ₹97.4

1575.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.04 ₹99.9

122.12%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$8,478 ₹813.4K

302.55%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$17.9K ₹1.7M

131.07%

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

$169 €147

$18.06 ₹1,733

833.28%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$3.05 ₹292

533.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$6.63 ₹636

405.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$13.95 ₹1,339

250.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

$10.41 ₹999

86.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$3.21 ₹308

198.13%

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

$696 €607

$40.67 ₹3,902

1611.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$2,112 ₹202.6K

721.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$25.35 ₹2,432

315.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$21.99 ₹2,110

117.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$38.43 ₹3,687

161.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$26.27 ₹2,520

373.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$85.7 ₹8,221

1839.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$52.2 ₹5,007

2288.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$202 ₹19.3K

1370.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$170 ₹16.3K

1106.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$980 ₹94.0K

699.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$496 ₹47.6K

800.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$622 ₹59.7K

162.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

8.25

-54.18%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Shimla: September 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $85.7 in Shimla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 162% 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 $5.00 in Shimla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $97.0 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 647% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $307 including rent). Shimla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 162% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $85.7 in Shimla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $40.67 in Shimla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 187% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $307 in Shimla versus $2,296 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 647% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.