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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $382 in Varkala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,289 in Lisbon versus $603 in Varkala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,369 in Lisbon versus $823 in Varkala.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 479% more expensive than in Varkala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Varkala is 71% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.71 €13.78

$2.40 ₹232

554.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €55.2

$10.54 ₹1,018

496.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.24

$3.62 ₹349

190.88%

Cappuccino

$2.88 €2.53

$1.53 ₹148

88.24%

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

$2.25 €1.98

$0.41 ₹39.25

448.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 €1.37

$0.16 ₹15.85

875.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €2.97

$1.79 ₹173

89.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.42

$3.10 ₹299

25.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.95

$0.70 ₹67.4

54.29%

White Bread (500g)

$1.73 €1.52

$0.45 ₹43.29

284.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.68 ₹65.3

158.82%

Eggs

$3.16 €2.77

$0.91 ₹87.6

247.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.66

$5.06 ₹489

162.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.87 €6.90

$2.92 ₹282

169.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.84 €13.89

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 €2.11

$1.99 ₹192

20.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.49

$0.74 ₹71.1

129.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.01 ₹97.7

100.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.21

$0.54 ₹51.8

366.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.63

$0.38 ₹36.80

389.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.81

$0.43 ₹41.33

379.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.00 €1.76

$0.48 ₹46.38

316.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.78 €0.68

$0.32 ₹30.48

143.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.83

$3.94 ₹380

68.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €5.07

$7.40 ₹714

-21.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.21

$1.76 ₹170

-21.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.65

$2.92 ₹282

3.42%

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

$5.55 ₹536

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.33 €2.04

$0.30 ₹28.97

676.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.45 €39.88

$8.69 ₹839

423.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.58

$0.78 ₹75.1

423.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.80 €0.70

$0.27 ₹26.13

196.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.65 €16.36

$1.42 ₹137

1213.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.76

$1.21 ₹117

65.29%

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

$35.4K €31.0K

$13.7K ₹1.3M

158.57%

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

$39.1K €34.3K

$21.7K ₹2.1M

80.25%

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

$150 €132

$39.35 ₹3,799

281.50%

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

$20.55 €18.03

$3.56 ₹344

477.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.45 €34.61

$7.12 ₹687

454.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.06 €42.17

$16.16 ₹1,560

197.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.70 €16.40

$6.84 ₹660

173.39%

Cinema Ticket

$9.30 €8.16

$2.92 ₹282

218.49%

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

$628 €551

$50.6 ₹4,885

1141.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.4K

$1,567 ₹151.3K

949.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €89.1

$24.37 ₹2,353

316.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.55 €36.45

$24.84 ₹2,398

67.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.5 €81.1

$43.10 ₹4,161

114.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €108

$30.83 ₹2,977

297.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,428

$126 ₹12.1K

1195.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,233 €1,081

$77.2 ₹7,457

1496.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,126 €2,742

$273 ₹26.4K

1044.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,058 €1,805

$182 ₹17.6K

1030.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,762 €6,810

$1,062 ₹102.6K

630.74%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,386 €3,848

$612 ₹59.0K

617.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,621 €1,422

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: July 21, 2026

Last update for Varkala: July 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $126 in Varkala. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $11.00 in Varkala for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 479% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $382 including rent). Varkala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $573 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $126 in Varkala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $628 in Lisbon versus $50.6 in Varkala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 154% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $382 in Varkala versus $2,210 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 479% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.