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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $332 in Shimla.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $532 in Shimla.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $732 in Shimla.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 587% more expensive than in Shimla, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Shimla is 75% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$1.77 ₹169

789.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$5.84 ₹557

986.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$3.51 ₹335

197.72%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.00 ₹95.5

191.00%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.34 ₹32.46

573.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.16 ₹15.70

837.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.58 ₹151

125.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.35 ₹224

68.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$0.73 ₹70.0

47.95%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.45 ₹42.80

291.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.62 ₹59.1

174.19%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$0.92 ₹88.1

253.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$4.31 ₹411

207.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$3.59 ₹343

114.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.93 ₹184

18.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$0.69 ₹65.8

140.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.79 ₹75.8

155.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$0.56 ₹53.2

341.07%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.38 ₹36.01

371.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.43 ₹41.13

381.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.24 ₹22.92

720.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.37 ₹34.95

124.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$4.46 ₹426

46.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$6.98 ₹665

-20.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.78 ₹170

-25.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.25 ₹215

33.78%

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

$5.68 ₹542

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.24 ₹22.99

845.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$8.93 ₹852

419.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.83 ₹78.9

409.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$1.18 ₹113

1495.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.18 ₹113

71.19%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$15.1K ₹1.4M

132.01%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$20.1K ₹1.9M

97.70%

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

$148 €128

$19.55 ₹1,864

656.68%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$3.54 ₹338

479.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$7.68 ₹733

414.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$14.43 ₹1,376

233.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$7.10 ₹677

159.01%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$3.46 ₹330

163.01%

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

$615 €532

$45.25 ₹4,315

1258.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$2,380 ₹227.0K

584.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$33.95 ₹3,238

199.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$28.04 ₹2,675

50.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$47.40 ₹4,521

94.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$29.42 ₹2,806

314.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$96.7 ₹9,225

1566.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$58.7 ₹5,594

2037.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$225 ₹21.4K

1266.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$138 ₹13.2K

1371.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$980 ₹93.4K

691.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$525 ₹50.1K

715.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$554 ₹52.8K

189.35%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Shimla: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $96.7 in Shimla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 189% 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 $267 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 587% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $332 including rent). Shimla is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 189% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $96.7 in Shimla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $45.25 in Shimla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 158% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $332 in Shimla versus $2,280 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 587% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.