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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $289 in Varanasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $472 in Varanasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $656 in Varanasi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 695% more expensive than in Varanasi, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Varanasi is 79% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$1.81 ₹174

871.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$7.95 ₹763

690.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$3.03 ₹291

282.18%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.59 ₹153

94.97%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$0.34 ₹32.94

632.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.09 ₹8.63

1833.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$1.54 ₹147

125.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.07 ₹199

66.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$0.60 ₹57.6

91.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.28 ₹26.44

582.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$0.53 ₹50.5

183.02%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$0.86 ₹82.0

362.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$3.02 ₹289

340.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$2.23 ₹214

259.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.36 ₹131

72.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$0.62 ₹59.4

182.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$0.86 ₹82.1

115.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$0.35 ₹33.23

628.57%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.23 ₹22.00

700.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.25 ₹24.06

740.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$0.42 ₹39.91

254.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.28 ₹27.04

192.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$3.19 ₹306

122.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$5.81 ₹557

1.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.64 ₹157

-20.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.33 ₹224

-8.58%

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

$3.96 ₹380

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.51 ₹48.68

362.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$9.42 ₹904

394.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.18 ₹17.64

2166.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.11 ₹10.70

936.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

$1.06 ₹102

1512.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.08 ₹104

113.89%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$12.4K ₹1.2M

174.24%

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

$41.4K €36.0K

$18.6K ₹1.8M

122.43%

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

$169 €147

$12.38 ₹1,187

1261.47%

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

$19.33 €16.84

$3.55 ₹340

444.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$6.79 ₹651

393.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$11.05 ₹1,060

341.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$5.08 ₹488

282.48%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$2.84 ₹273

236.97%

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

$696 €606

$38.48 ₹3,691

1708.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$981 ₹94.1K

1668.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$20.95 ₹2,010

402.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$24.64 ₹2,363

93.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$36.38 ₹3,490

176.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$25.89 ₹2,484

380.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$111 ₹10.6K

1399.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$47.87 ₹4,592

2503.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$195 ₹18.7K

1416.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$140 ₹13.5K

1360.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$568 ₹54.5K

1279.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$339 ₹32.5K

1216.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$581 ₹55.7K

180.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

8.53

-55.69%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Varanasi: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $111 in Varanasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 181% 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 $8.00 in Varanasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $81.0 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 695% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $289 including rent). Varanasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 181% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $111 in Varanasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $38.48 in Varanasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 243% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $289 in Varanasi versus $2,296 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 695% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.