Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Varanasi Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Varanasi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $307 in Varanasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $511 in Varanasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $714 in Varanasi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 622% more expensive than Varanasi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Varanasi is 77% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$2.38 ₹225

563.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$8.60 ₹813

626.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$3.39 ₹321

210.91%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$1.53 ₹145

81.05%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$0.31 ₹29.28

635.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.12 ₹11.34

1191.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$1.71 ₹162

107.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$2.27 ₹214

75.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.65 ₹61.4

66.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.36 ₹34.35

391.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.52 ₹49.04

240.38%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$0.89 ₹84.2

250.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$3.60 ₹340

270.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$2.57 ₹243

210.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.53 ₹145

49.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$0.65 ₹61.2

152.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$0.92 ₹87.3

115.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$0.36 ₹34.02

580.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.29 ₹27.69

510.34%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.25 ₹23.55

688.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.35 ₹33.11

462.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.29 ₹26.98

175.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$2.83 ₹267

131.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$5.66 ₹536

1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.74 ₹164

-24.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.59 ₹245

15.44%

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

$4.65 ₹440

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$0.61 ₹57.3

283.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

$10.37 ₹981

342.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$0.22 ₹20.83

1836.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.12 ₹10.97

600.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$1.18 ₹111

1498.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.21 ₹115

71.07%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

153.02%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$21.2K ₹2.0M

81.84%

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

$151 €130

$13.93 ₹1,318

984.92%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$3.64 ₹344

474.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$5.37 ₹508

636.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$12.36 ₹1,170

291.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

$5.85 ₹554

218.12%

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$3.00 ₹284

201.33%

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

$610 €525

$58.1 ₹5,500

949.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$927 ₹87.7K

1655.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$23.35 ₹2,209

333.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$24.60 ₹2,327

64.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$41.36 ₹3,913

124.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$25.04 ₹2,368

373.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$126 ₹11.9K

1173.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$52.7 ₹4,990

2248.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$251 ₹23.7K

1102.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$157 ₹14.8K

1215.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$579 ₹54.8K

1278.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$347 ₹32.8K

1205.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$590 ₹55.8K

176.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

8.72

-56.31%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Varanasi: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $126 in Varanasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 176% 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 $9.00 in Varanasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $88.0 per month, with Varanasi 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 Varanasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Varanasi differ by about 622% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $307 including rent). Varanasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 176% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $126 in Varanasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $58.1 in Varanasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 205% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $307 in Varanasi versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varanasi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Varanasi 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 Varanasi 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 Varanasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 622% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.