Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Varkala Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Varkala

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,243 in Lisbon versus $380 in Varkala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $612 in Varkala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,387 in Lisbon versus $845 in Varkala.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 491% more expensive than Varkala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 67% above, Varkala is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.73 €13.42

$2.37 ₹222

563.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.2 €53.9

$10.56 ₹991

498.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €8.80

$3.65 ₹342

182.74%

Cappuccino

$2.81 €2.40

$1.56 ₹147

80.13%

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

$2.33 €1.99

$0.41 ₹38.09

468.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.51 €1.29

$0.15 ₹13.82

906.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 €2.87

$1.70 ₹160

98.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.34

$3.15 ₹296

24.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$0.71 ₹66.5

52.11%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.49

$0.49 ₹45.60

257.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.50

$0.71 ₹66.6

146.48%

Eggs

$3.10 €2.64

$0.89 ₹83.5

248.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 €11.33

$4.91 ₹461

170.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.85 €6.70

$3.02 ₹283

159.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

Apples (1kg)

$2.39 €2.04

$2.06 ₹194

16.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$0.69 ₹65.1

149.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$1.00 ₹93.5

97.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.17

$0.50 ₹46.48

410.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.53

$0.38 ₹35.73

371.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.68

$0.45 ₹42.68

337.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.96 €1.67

$0.49 ₹46.19

300.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.71

$0.31 ₹29.52

170.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.82 €5.82

$4.02 ₹377

69.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.85 €4.99

$7.21 ₹677

-18.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.78 ₹167

-22.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 €2.49

$2.79 ₹261

4.66%

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

$5.58 ₹523

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 €1.95

$0.30 ₹28.34

663.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.88 €39.99

$8.64 ₹810

442.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.12 €3.51

$0.78 ₹73.5

428.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.27 ₹25.41

200.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.94 €16.16

$1.44 ₹135

1215.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.17 ₹110

78.63%

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

$35.1K €30.0K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

153.48%

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

$39.7K €33.9K

$22.1K ₹2.1M

79.51%

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

$150 €128

$38.30 ₹3,595

290.50%

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

$20.49 €17.48

$3.40 ₹320

502.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.15 €33.40

$7.42 ₹696

427.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.35

$16.06 ₹1,507

209.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.47 €15.76

$6.95 ₹652

165.76%

Cinema Ticket

$9.20 €7.84

$2.99 ₹281

207.69%

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

$624 €533

$52.0 ₹4,876

1102.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.9K €13.6K

$1,554 ₹145.9K

923.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €87.2

$24.28 ₹2,279

320.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.88 €34.87

$25.62 ₹2,404

59.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €81.6

$42.26 ₹3,966

126.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €103

$30.19 ₹2,834

301.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,653 €1,410

$126 ₹11.8K

1215.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,051

$74.7 ₹7,013

1549.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,043 €2,596

$279 ₹26.2K

989.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,059 €1,756

$177 ₹16.6K

1064.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,879 €6,720

$1,073 ₹100.7K

634.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,303 €3,671

$602 ₹56.5K

615.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

8.67

-56.06%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Last update for Varkala: April 20, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,653 in Lisbon and $126 in Varkala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63 in Lisbon vs $11 in Varkala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $270 vs $106 per month, with Varkala 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 Varkala: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Varkala differ by about 491% in total monthly costs ($2,243 vs $380 including rent). Varkala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,365 in Lisbon and $569 in Varkala to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,653 in Lisbon versus $126 in Varkala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $624 in Lisbon versus $52.0 in Varkala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 155% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $380 in Varkala versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varkala but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Varkala 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 Varkala 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 Varkala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 491% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.