Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zahlah Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Zahlah

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,066 in Zahlah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,666 in Zahlah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,265 in Zahlah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 107% more expensive than Zahlah, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Zahlah is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$10.98 LBP 982.4K

44.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$60.6 LBP 5.4M

6.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$7.88 LBP 705.6K

33.38%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.42 LBP 306.3K

-16.08%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.60 LBP 142.9K

40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.92 LBP 82.4K

63.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$3.44 LBP 307.6K

1.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.01 LBP 180.1K

93.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.02 LBP 91.2K

11.76%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.79 LBP 71.1K

121.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.75 LBP 157.0K

0.57%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$3.15 LBP 282.0K

2.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$11.08 LBP 991.2K

21.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$9.22 LBP 825.5K

-14.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$11.57 LBP 1.0M

37.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.80 LBP 161.3K

28.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.52 LBP 136.4K

11.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.14 LBP 101.6K

76.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.05 LBP 93.7K

134.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.93 LBP 82.9K

97.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.04 LBP 92.9K

92.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.82 LBP 73.2K

135.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.52 LBP 46.4K

51.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$2.45 LBP 219.4K

169.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$9.93 LBP 888.8K

-42.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.23 LBP 110.0K

11.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.22 LBP 198.5K

33.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.87 LBP 435.5K

-11.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.27 LBP 113.4K

-35.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$19.86 LBP 1.8M

-7.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$0.94 LBP 84.0K

119.15%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$34.4K LBP 3.1B

-0.42%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$28.1K LBP 2.5B

39.61%

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

$148 €127

$218 LBP 19.5M

-32.15%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$37.68 LBP 3.4M

-45.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$37.38 LBP 3.3M

5.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$8.09 LBP 723.8K

13.47%

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

$614 €528

$304 LBP 27.2M

101.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,375 LBP 391.6M

266.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$69.8 LBP 6.2M

49.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$44.85 LBP 4.0M

-6.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$123 LBP 11.0M

-23.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$94.6 LBP 8.5M

26.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$202 LBP 18.1M

521.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$407 LBP 36.4M

396.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.16

-65.86%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Zahlah: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $61.0 in Zahlah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $225 per month, with Zahlah 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 Zahlah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Zahlah differ by about 107% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,066 including rent). Zahlah 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 $1,600 in Zahlah 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 20% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,066 in Zahlah – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,066 in Zahlah versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zahlah but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Zahlah 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 Zahlah 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 Zahlah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.