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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $304 in Varanasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $512 in Varanasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $720 in Varanasi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 632% 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

$16.17 €13.84

$2.28 ₹216

609.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$8.82 ₹837

632.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$3.58 ₹340

189.94%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.55 ₹148

78.71%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.33 ₹31.34

581.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.11 ₹10.58

1327.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.72 ₹163

102.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.27 ₹216

76.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.64 ₹60.6

68.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.37 ₹34.68

370.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.53 ₹50.3

228.30%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$0.95 ₹89.9

234.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$3.61 ₹343

272.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$2.57 ₹244

210.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.50 ₹143

52.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$0.66 ₹62.2

160.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$0.87 ₹82.3

122.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$0.38 ₹36.12

568.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.27 ₹25.61

577.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$0.27 ₹25.73

655.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.35 ₹33.19

465.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.31 ₹29.54

174.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$2.92 ₹277

134.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$5.66 ₹537

2.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.72 ₹163

-20.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$2.62 ₹249

10.69%

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

$4.67 ₹443

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.56 ₹53.6

307.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$10.57 ₹1,004

343.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$0.20 ₹18.97

1940.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.12 ₹11.05

583.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$1.19 ₹113

1435.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.16 ₹110

73.28%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$14.0K ₹1.3M

151.75%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$20.6K ₹2.0M

87.28%

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

$145 €124

$13.87 ₹1,317

948.31%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$3.71 ₹352

464.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$5.50 ₹523

628.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$12.43 ₹1,180

292.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$5.83 ₹554

220.58%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$3.00 ₹285

202.00%

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

$607 €519

$56.8 ₹5,392

968.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$933 ₹88.6K

1650.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$22.89 ₹2,174

357.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$24.11 ₹2,289

69.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$40.07 ₹3,804

133.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$24.97 ₹2,371

374.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$130 ₹12.3K

1133.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$53.0 ₹5,033

2230.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$244 ₹23.2K

1147.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$154 ₹14.6K

1236.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$576 ₹54.7K

1238.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$337 ₹31.9K

1167.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$589 ₹56.0K

168.80%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Varanasi: April 26, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $130 in Varanasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 169% 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 $9.00 in Varanasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 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 632% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $304 including rent). Varanasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 169% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $130 in Varanasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $56.8 in Varanasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 207% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $304 in Varanasi versus $2,227 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 632% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.