Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rawalpindi and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Rawalpindi: $498 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rawalpindi
🇵🇰 Pakistan
$498
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,223
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Rawalpindi and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Rawalpindi and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $498 in Rawalpindi versus $2,223 in Lisbon.

  • Rawalpindi $498
  • Lisbon $2,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $784 in Rawalpindi versus $3,271 in Lisbon.

  • Rawalpindi $784
  • Lisbon $3,271

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,070 in Rawalpindi versus $4,319 in Lisbon.

  • Rawalpindi $1,070
  • Lisbon $4,319

Living in Rawalpindi costs roughly 78% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Rawalpindi is 63% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rawalpindi
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$2.04 PKR 565
$16.50 €14.67
-87.64%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$16.20 PKR 4,484
$61.3 €54.5
-73.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.79 PKR 1,602
$11.27 €10.03
-48.62%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 PKR 492
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.47 PKR 962
-
-
Cappuccino
$1.94 PKR 537
$3.06 €2.72
-36.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.44 PKR 121
$2.26 €2.01
-80.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.23 PKR 63.3
$1.73 €1.54
-86.71%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$3.39 €3.02
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$3.40 €3.02
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rawalpindi
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.90 PKR 249
$1.12 €1.00
-19.64%
White Bread (500g)
$0.59 PKR 162
$1.86 €1.65
-68.28%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.22 PKR 337
$1.53 €1.36
-20.26%
Eggs
$1.14 PKR 316
$3.96 €3.53
-71.21%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.38 PKR 1,765
$12.76 €11.35
-50.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.38 PKR 935
$7.90 €7.02
-57.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$5.22 PKR 1,446
$16.97 €15.09
-69.24%
Apples (1kg)
$1.14 PKR 316
$2.27 €2.02
-49.78%
Banana (1kg)
$0.89 PKR 245
$1.75 €1.55
-49.14%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.22 PKR 337
$1.85 €1.64
-34.05%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.56 PKR 156
$2.57 €2.28
-78.21%
Potato (1kg)
$0.35 PKR 97.7
$1.86 €1.65
-81.18%
Onion (1kg)
$0.46 PKR 127
$2.02 €1.80
-77.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.33 PKR 91.5
$1.44 €1.28
-77.08%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.42 PKR 117
$0.82 €0.73
-48.78%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$16.44 PKR 4,551
-
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.21 PKR 335
-
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.45 PKR 677
-
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$1.98 PKR 548
$6.56 €5.83
-69.82%
Wine (Bottle)
-
$5.62 €5.00
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.28 €1.14
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.07 €1.84
-
🚌 Getting Around
Rawalpindi
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.17 PKR 46.63
$2.35 €2.09
-92.77%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.08 PKR 2,791
$44.18 €39.30
-77.18%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.88 PKR 244
$3.99 €3.55
-77.94%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.35 PKR 95.8
$1.09 €0.97
-67.89%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$3.09 PKR 856
$16.64 €14.81
-81.43%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.23 PKR 341
$2.28 €2.03
-46.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$18.7K PKR 5.2M
$33.7K €30.0K
-44.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.5K PKR 6.8M
$39.3K €35.0K
-37.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rawalpindi
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$115 PKR 31.8K
$167 €149
-31.50%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$5.74 PKR 1,590
$18.80 €16.72
-69.47%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$18.80 PKR 5,204
$33.09 €29.43
-43.19%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rawalpindi
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$12.17 PKR 3,369
$46.01 €40.93
-73.55%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.40 PKR 2,048
$19.19 €17.07
-61.44%
Cinema Ticket
$4.38 PKR 1,211
$9.84 €8.75
-55.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rawalpindi
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$49.65 PKR 13.7K
$677 €602
-92.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$1,044 PKR 288.9K
$16.9K €15.1K
-93.83%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rawalpindi
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$17.65 PKR 4,886
$101 €90.1
-82.57%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$32.02 PKR 8,862
$45.76 €40.70
-30.03%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.4 PKR 25.9K
$100.0 €88.9
-6.55%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$35.64 PKR 9,863
$123 €109
-70.97%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rawalpindi
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$204 PKR 56.5K
$1,614 €1,436
-87.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$81.6 PKR 22.6K
$1,197 €1,065
-93.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$418 PKR 115.6K
$2,862 €2,545
-85.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$222 PKR 61.5K
$1,990 €1,770
-88.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,197 PKR 331.2K
$7,577 €6,740
-84.21%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$451 PKR 124.8K
$4,307 €3,831
-89.53%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rawalpindi
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$173 PKR 47.8K
$1,588 €1,412
-89.13%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
22.81
3.85
492.47%

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

Last update for Rawalpindi: October 13, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rawalpindi
$139
Lisbon
$219 57.5% $80
Groceries & Markets
Rawalpindi
$103
Lisbon
$269 161% $166
Accommodation & Living
Rawalpindi
$82
Lisbon
$1.2K 1367% $1.1K
Clothing & Footwear
Rawalpindi
$80
Lisbon
$166 107% $86
Eating Out
Rawalpindi
$60
Lisbon
$242 306% $183
Sport & Entertainment
Rawalpindi
$21
Lisbon
$66 214% $45
Getting Around
Rawalpindi
$13
Lisbon
$63 371% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $204 in Rawalpindi and $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 820% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $16.00 in Rawalpindi vs $61.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $103 vs $269 per month, with Rawalpindi cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇵🇰 Rawalpindi
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
11:05 11:05 AM
07:05 7:05 AM
4 h behind Rawalpindi
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
2,098,231
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to PKR – Pakistani Rupee Converter

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rawalpindi Lisbon 7,150 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rawalpindi
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Rawalpindi vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Rawalpindi and in Lisbon?
Rawalpindi and Lisbon differ by about 346% in total monthly costs ($498 vs $2,223 including rent). Rawalpindi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city has better-paying jobs?
On paper, salaries run 820% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Rawalpindi and in Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $204 in Rawalpindi versus $1,614 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Rawalpindi and Lisbon?
Childcare runs $49.65 in Rawalpindi versus $677 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 161% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $2,000 per month?
At $498 in Rawalpindi versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Rawalpindi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Rawalpindi the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Rawalpindi and Lisbon?
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.
Is Rawalpindi or Lisbon safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Rawalpindi 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.
Where should expats move: Rawalpindi or Lisbon?
Expats usually find Rawalpindi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 346% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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