Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Urmia

For one person, living is cheaper in Urmia: $419 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,202
/mo nomad
Urmia
🇮🇷 Iran
$419
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Urmia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Urmia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $419 in Urmia.

  • Lisbon $2,202
  • Urmia $419

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $725 in Urmia.

  • Lisbon $3,274
  • Urmia $725

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $1,030 in Urmia.

  • Lisbon $4,346
  • Urmia $1,030

Living in Lisbon is roughly 425% more expensive than in Urmia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Urmia is 69% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Lisbon
Urmia
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.04 €15.15
$5.06 $5.06
236.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$62.3 €55.4
$23.78 $23.78
161.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.02 €9.80
$2.97 $2.97
271.04%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.26 $1.26
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.57 $1.57
-
Cappuccino
$3.12 €2.78
$1.09 $1.09
186.24%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 €2.02
$0.74 $0.74
206.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 €1.55
$0.49 $0.49
255.10%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.42 €3.04
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.74 €3.33
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
Urmia
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 €1.04
$0.62 $0.62
88.71%
White Bread (500g)
$1.86 €1.66
$0.44 $0.44
322.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.54 €1.37
$2.35 $2.35
-34.47%
Eggs
$4.06 €3.61
$1.22 $1.22
232.79%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.91 €11.49
$4.29 $4.29
200.93%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$7.90 €7.03
$2.54 $2.54
211.02%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.64 €15.69
$6.37 $6.37
176.92%
Apples (1kg)
$2.26 €2.01
$0.88 $0.88
156.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 €1.55
$1.46 $1.46
19.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.89 €1.68
$0.74 $0.74
155.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.56 €2.27
$0.67 $0.67
282.09%
Potato (1kg)
$1.85 €1.64
$0.52 $0.52
255.77%
Onion (1kg)
$1.97 €1.75
$0.56 $0.56
251.79%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.45 €1.29
$0.53 $0.53
173.58%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.77 €0.69
$0.26 $0.26
196.15%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.78 $0.78
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.55 $0.55
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.37 $1.37
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.71 €5.97
$1.13 $1.13
493.81%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.67 €5.04
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.37 €1.22
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 €1.88
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Lisbon
Urmia
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.32 €2.07
$0.16 $0.16
1350.00%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$44.43 €39.52
$9.65 $9.65
360.41%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.95 €3.51
$0.39 $0.39
912.82%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.05 €0.93
$0.31 $0.31
238.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.15 €15.26
$2.55 $2.55
572.55%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.19 €1.95
$0.10 $0.10
2090.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$33.8K €30.0K
$49.6K $49.6K
-31.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.3K €34.0K
$44.0K $44.0K
-13.02%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
Urmia
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$164 €146
$12.79 $12.79
1180.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.48 €16.43
$1.58 $1.58
1069.62%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$32.96 €29.32
$3.65 $3.65
803.01%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
Urmia
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$45.87 €40.80
$9.38 $9.38
389.02%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.68 €16.61
$13.16 $13.16
41.95%
Cinema Ticket
$9.75 €8.67
$2.02 $2.02
382.67%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Lisbon
Urmia
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$684 €608
$106 $106
547.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K €15.7K
$2,393 $2,393
636.52%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
Urmia
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$104 €92.3
$22.69 $22.69
357.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$46.20 €41.09
$27.94 $27.94
65.35%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$99.7 €88.7
$97.7 $97.7
2.10%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$125 €111
$32.75 $32.75
280.76%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
Urmia
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,589 €1,414
$175 $175
806.16%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,169 €1,040
$130 $130
799.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,851 €2,536
$326 $326
773.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,993 €1,773
$271 $271
635.08%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,793 €6,932
$712 $712
994.76%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,418 €3,930
$594 $594
644.03%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Lisbon
Urmia
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$1,600 €1,423
$277 $277
478.40%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.85
24.3
-84.16%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Urmia: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Lisbon
$1.2K
Urmia
$130 88.9% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Lisbon
$273
Urmia
$97 64.5% $176
Eating Out
Lisbon
$247
Urmia
$67 72.8% $180
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Lisbon
$215
Urmia
$18 91.6% $197
Clothing & Footwear
Lisbon
$168
Urmia
$81 51.6% $87
Sport & Entertainment
Lisbon
$65
Urmia
$13 79.5% $52
Getting Around
Lisbon
$63
Urmia
$12 80.6% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,589 in Lisbon and $175 in Urmia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 478% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $24.00 in Urmia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $97.0 per month, with Urmia cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🇮🇷 Urmia
🕒 Local time
17:03 5:03 PM
19:33 7:33 PM
2 h 30 min ahead of Lisbon
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
545,923 Capital
736,224
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD exchange rates as of October 23, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Lisbon Urmia 4,670 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Lisbon
  • Urmia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Urmia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Lisbon and in Urmia?
Lisbon and Urmia differ by about 425% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $419 including rent). Urmia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Lisbon or Urmia?
Average pay runs 478% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How do apartment prices compare in Lisbon and in Urmia?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,589 in Lisbon versus $175 in Urmia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Lisbon and Urmia?
Childcare runs $684 in Lisbon versus $106 in Urmia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 182% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $419 in Urmia versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Urmia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Urmia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Lisbon and Urmia?
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.
Is Lisbon or Urmia safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Lisbon and Urmia are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Lisbon or Urmia?
Expats usually find Urmia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 425% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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