Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tehran Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Tehran

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $710 in Tehran.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,139 in Tehran.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,569 in Tehran.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 211% more expensive than Tehran, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Tehran is 47% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$3.89 $3.89

309.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$18.06 $18.06

258.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$5.06 $5.06

107.71%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.62 $0.62

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.30 $1.30

120.77%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.45 $0.45

397.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$1.03 $1.03

45.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.59 $0.59

93.22%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.57 $0.57

207.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.87 $1.87

-5.88%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.16 $1.16

177.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$3.42 $3.42

294.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.24 $3.24

144.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$10.93 $10.93

45.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$0.88 $0.88

162.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.42 $1.42

19.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$0.81 $0.81

148.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.67 $0.67

267.16%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.55 $0.55

234.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.50 $0.50

300.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.58 $0.58

232.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.23 $0.23

243.48%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.62 $0.62

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 $0.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$2.57 $2.57

157.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.24 $0.24

887.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.22

$9.95 $9.95

357.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.52 $0.52

725.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.31 $0.31

164.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$3.07 $3.07

496.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.76 $0.76

171.05%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$81.4K $81.4K

-57.89%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$55.9K $55.9K

-29.66%

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

$148 €127

$15.74 $15.74

839.45%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$2.18 $2.18

841.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.10

$5.66 $5.66

599.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.19

$23.05 $23.05

107.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

$11.87 $11.87

59.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$1.54 $1.54

496.10%

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

$614 €529

$125 $125

391.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$2,001 $2,001

701.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$30.87 $30.87

239.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.21

$34.04 $34.04

23.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$122 $122

-22.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$70.4 $70.4

70.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,401

$489 $489

232.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$336 $336

274.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$1,020 $1,020

197.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,739

$709 $709

184.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,715

$1,265 $1,265

516.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,678

$817 $817

423.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,380

$211 $211

658.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

25.07

-84.80%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Tehran: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $489 in Tehran. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 659% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $18.00 in Tehran for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $110 per month, with Tehran 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 Tehran: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Tehran differ by about 211% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $710 including rent). Tehran is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 659% 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $489 in Tehran. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $125 in Tehran. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 144% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $710 in Tehran versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tehran but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tehran 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 Tehran 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 Tehran gentler on the wallet – expenses run 211% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.