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: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $378 in Varkala.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $606 in Varkala.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $834 in Varkala.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 499% more expensive than Varkala, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Varkala is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.82

$2.31 ₹220

590.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.9

$10.58 ₹1,009

498.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €9.00

$3.46 ₹330

200.00%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.42

$1.57 ₹150

77.71%

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

$2.34 €2.03

$0.41 ₹38.81

470.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.36

$0.16 ₹15.07

881.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.97

$1.69 ₹161

102.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.39

$3.02 ₹288

29.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.66 ₹62.7

63.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.53

$0.45 ₹42.80

293.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.48

$0.66 ₹62.9

159.09%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.73

$0.90 ₹85.7

250.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.86

$4.86 ₹463

181.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.94

$3.03 ₹289

164.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.45

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.99

$1.97 ₹188

16.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$0.69 ₹65.9

137.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.68

$0.95 ₹90.2

104.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.18

$0.53 ₹50.9

373.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.38 ₹36.69

371.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.74

$0.46 ₹43.99

336.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.49 ₹47.03

302.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.35 ₹32.99

140.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.88

$3.94 ₹375

72.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.92

$7.38 ₹704

-23.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.79 ₹170

-22.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.61

$2.78 ₹265

8.63%

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

$5.58 ₹532

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$0.30 ₹28.94

656.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.38

$8.83 ₹842

414.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.72

$0.84 ₹80.1

410.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.25 ₹23.79

240.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.84

$1.43 ₹136

1178.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.72

$1.22 ₹116

63.11%

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

$35.0K €30.4K

$13.9K ₹1.3M

151.66%

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

$39.5K €34.3K

$21.9K ₹2.1M

80.88%

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

$146 €127

$38.78 ₹3,697

276.95%

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

$20.45 €17.72

$3.55 ₹338

476.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.78

$7.46 ₹711

422.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.46

$16.09 ₹1,534

204.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.32

$6.98 ₹666

169.77%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.25

$2.97 ₹283

220.54%

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

$608 €527

$52.3 ₹4,989

1062.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.3K

$1,561 ₹148.8K

957.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €90.0

$24.20 ₹2,307

329.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.50

$25.54 ₹2,435

64.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.9

$42.00 ₹4,004

119.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €104

$29.96 ₹2,856

300.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,405

$122 ₹11.7K

1226.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,099

$77.7 ₹7,408

1531.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,642

$274 ₹26.1K

1011.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,741

$181 ₹17.3K

1007.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,641

$1,043 ₹99.4K

634.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,752

$604 ₹57.6K

616.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,374

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: June 8, 2026

Last update for Varkala: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $122 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 $105 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 499% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $378 including rent). Varkala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,394 in Lisbon and $566 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $122 in Varkala. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $52.3 in Varkala. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 156% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $378 in Varkala versus $2,263 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 499% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.