Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Tehran and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $710 in Tehran versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,139 in Tehran versus $3,311 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,569 in Tehran versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Tehran costs roughly 68% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tehran is 47% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.89 $3.89

$15.91 €13.70

-75.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.06 $18.06

$64.8 €55.8

-72.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.06 $5.06

$10.51 €9.05

-51.86%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.62 $0.62

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

Cappuccino

$1.30 $1.30

$2.87 €2.47

-54.70%

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

$0.45 $0.45

$2.24 €1.93

-79.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.50 €1.29

-31.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

Milk (1 liter)

$0.59 $0.59

$1.14 €0.98

-48.25%

White Bread (500g)

$0.57 $0.57

$1.75 €1.51

-67.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.76 €1.51

6.25%

Eggs

$1.16 $1.16

$3.22 €2.77

-63.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$13.49 €11.61

-74.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.24 $3.24

$7.91 €6.81

-59.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 $10.93

$15.87 €13.67

-31.13%

Apples (1kg)

$0.88 $0.88

$2.31 €1.99

-61.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.70 €1.46

-16.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.81 $0.81

$2.01 €1.73

-59.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.67 $0.67

$2.46 €2.12

-72.76%

Potato (1kg)

$0.55 $0.55

$1.84 €1.59

-70.11%

Onion (1kg)

$0.50 $0.50

$2.00 €1.72

-75.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.58 $0.58

$1.93 €1.66

-69.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.23 $0.23

$0.79 €0.68

-70.89%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.62 $0.62

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.59 $0.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.57 $2.57

$6.61 €5.69

-61.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.24 $0.24

$2.37 €2.04

-89.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.95 $9.95

$45.56 €39.22

-78.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.52 $0.52

$4.29 €3.69

-87.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.31 $0.31

$0.82 €0.70

-62.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$18.30 €15.76

-83.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$2.06 €1.78

-63.11%

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

$81.4K $81.4K

$34.3K €29.5K

137.47%

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

$55.9K $55.9K

$39.3K €33.8K

42.17%

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

$15.74 $15.74

$148 €127

-89.36%

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

$2.18 $2.18

$20.52 €17.67

-89.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$5.66 $5.66

$39.61 €34.10

-85.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.05 $23.05

$47.85 €41.19

-51.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.87 $11.87

$18.92 €16.29

-37.26%

Cinema Ticket

$1.54 $1.54

$9.18 €7.91

-83.22%

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

$125 $125

$614 €529

-79.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,001 $2,001

$16.0K €13.8K

-87.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.87 $30.87

$105 €90.1

-70.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.04 $34.04

$42.06 €36.21

-19.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$94.0 €80.9

29.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.4 $70.4

$120 €103

-41.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$489 $489

$1,628 €1,401

-69.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$336 $336

$1,255 €1,081

-73.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,020 $1,020

$3,030 €2,609

-66.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$709 $709

$2,020 €1,739

-64.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,265 $1,265

$7,800 €6,715

-83.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$817 $817

$4,273 €3,678

-80.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$211 $211

$1,603 €1,380

-86.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

25.07

3.81

558.01%

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

Last update for Tehran: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $489 in Tehran and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 659% 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: $18.00 in Tehran vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $110 vs $269 per month, with Tehran cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Tehran vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tehran and Lisbon differ by about 211% in total monthly costs ($710 vs $2,210 including rent). Tehran is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Lisbon earns 659% less. 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: $489 in Tehran versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $125 in Tehran versus $614 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 144% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $710 in Tehran versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tehran but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Tehran 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, Tehran 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 Tehran gentler on the wallet – expenses run 211% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.