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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $314 in Varanasi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $517 in Varanasi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $720 in Varanasi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 627% more expensive than in Varanasi, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Varanasi is 76% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$2.31 ₹220

581.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$8.96 ₹855

608.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$3.51 ₹335

197.72%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.50 ₹143

94.00%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.31 ₹29.43

638.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.13 ₹12.42

1053.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.79 ₹171

98.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.32 ₹221

70.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$0.65 ₹61.7

66.15%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.37 ₹35.28

375.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$0.52 ₹50.1

226.92%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$0.95 ₹90.4

242.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$3.60 ₹343

268.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$2.54 ₹242

203.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.52 ₹145

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$0.66 ₹63.0

151.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$0.88 ₹83.5

129.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$0.39 ₹36.74

533.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.29 ₹27.87

517.24%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$0.27 ₹25.84

666.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.35 ₹33.16

462.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.29 ₹27.40

186.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$2.90 ₹277

125.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$5.84 ₹557

-4.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.64 ₹157

-18.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.62 ₹250

14.89%

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

$4.67 ₹445

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.59 ₹56.5

284.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$10.66 ₹1,016

334.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$0.20 ₹19.05

2015.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.11 ₹10.67

672.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$1.17 ₹112

1509.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.16 ₹110

74.14%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$14.1K ₹1.3M

147.54%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$21.3K ₹2.0M

86.48%

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

$148 €128

$13.81 ₹1,317

971.18%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$3.54 ₹338

479.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$5.59 ₹533

606.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$12.28 ₹1,171

292.26%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$5.85 ₹558

214.36%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$2.97 ₹283

206.40%

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

$615 €532

$57.5 ₹5,484

969.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$926 ₹88.3K

1658.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$22.97 ₹2,191

342.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$24.51 ₹2,338

71.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$41.19 ₹3,928

124.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$24.96 ₹2,380

389.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$127 ₹12.1K

1165.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$52.5 ₹5,007

2287.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$252 ₹24.0K

1118.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$158 ₹15.0K

1192.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$558 ₹53.3K

1287.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$331 ₹31.6K

1193.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$572 ₹54.6K

179.98%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Varanasi: July 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $127 in Varanasi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 180% 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 $9.00 in Varanasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 627% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $314 including rent). Varanasi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 180% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $127 in Varanasi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $57.5 in Varanasi. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 203% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $314 in Varanasi versus $2,280 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 627% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.