Cost of Living Comparison Between Punakha and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Punakha and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $133 in Punakha versus $2,268 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $184 in Punakha versus $3,348 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $234 in Punakha versus $4,429 in Lisbon.

Living in Punakha costs roughly 94% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Punakha is 90% below, Lisbon is 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

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

$2.49 €2.15

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

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

$34.5K €29.7K

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

$41.6K €35.9K

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

$171 €147

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

$19.01 €16.38

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

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

$699 €603

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$20.87 BTN 1,761

$105 €90.2

-80.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.43 BTN 881

$47.97 €41.35

-78.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.12 BTN 3,556

$102 €87.8

-58.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$37.35 BTN 3,153

$128 €111

-70.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$93.9 BTN 7,928

$1,661 €1,432

-94.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$85.1 BTN 7,183

$1,228 €1,059

-93.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$136 BTN 11.5K

$2,915 €2,513

-95.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$121 BTN 10.2K

$2,023 €1,744

-94.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,161 BTN 266.8K

$8,129 €7,007

-61.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,893 BTN 244.2K

$4,635 €3,996

-37.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$245 BTN 20.7K

$1,619 €1,396

-84.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

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

Last update for Punakha: September 8, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $93.9 in Punakha and $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 560% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

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

Punakha vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Punakha and Lisbon differ by about 1607% in total monthly costs ($133 vs $2,268 including rent). Punakha is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 560% lower in Lisbon. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $93.9 in Punakha versus $1,661 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

At $133 in Punakha versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Punakha but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Punakha 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, Punakha and Lisbon 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 Punakha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1607% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.