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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $986 in Zahlah.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,607 in Zahlah.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,227 in Zahlah.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 133% more expensive than in Zahlah, driven mainly by Getting Around.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Zahlah is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$12.07 LBP 1.1M

45.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$63.6 LBP 5.7M

-1.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$9.87 LBP 883.7K

17.33%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$4.70 LBP 420.5K

-34.04%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$2.27 LBP 203.4K

9.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.83 LBP 74.2K

109.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$5.01 LBP 448.8K

-30.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$5.14 LBP 459.9K

-33.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.93 LBP 172.7K

-40.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$0.87 LBP 78.1K

119.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.12 LBP 189.3K

-29.25%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.53 LBP 315.8K

12.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$13.26 LBP 1.2M

0.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$10.47 LBP 937.3K

-23.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$14.33 LBP 1.3M

25.89%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$2.98 LBP 266.9K

-21.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.71 LBP 152.7K

2.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.69 LBP 151.7K

9.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.52 LBP 136.0K

67.76%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.42 LBP 126.8K

29.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.69 LBP 150.8K

24.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.16 LBP 103.9K

28.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.69 LBP 61.9K

18.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$3.09 LBP 276.4K

129.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$10.10 LBP 903.7K

-41.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.34 LBP 119.7K

-2.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.56 LBP 229.3K

-16.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$5.08 LBP 454.4K

-19.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.26 LBP 202.4K

-49.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$22.27 LBP 2.0M

-23.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.00 LBP 89.4K

131.00%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$53.7K LBP 4.8B

-36.42%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$32.6K LBP 2.9B

26.96%

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

$169 €147

$232 LBP 20.8M

-27.43%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$23.16 LBP 2.1M

-16.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$38.07 LBP 3.4M

-11.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$9.91 LBP 887.0K

-3.43%

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

$696 €607

$688 LBP 61.6M

1.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$10.7K LBP 957.1M

62.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$68.3 LBP 6.1M

54.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$48.59 LBP 4.3M

-1.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$138 LBP 12.3M

-26.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$120 LBP 10.7M

4.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-65.64%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Zahlah: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $64.0 in Zahlah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $278 per month, with Lisbon 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 133% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $986 including rent). Zahlah is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,444 in Lisbon and $1,479 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.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 0% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $986 in Zahlah – a 133% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $986 in Zahlah versus $2,296 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 133% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.