Cost of Living Comparison Between Varkala and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Varkala and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $380 in Varkala versus $2,243 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $612 in Varkala versus $3,315 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $845 in Varkala versus $4,387 in Lisbon.

Living in Varkala costs roughly 83% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Varkala is 72% below, Lisbon is 67% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.37 ₹222

$15.73 €13.42

-84.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.56 ₹991

$63.2 €53.9

-83.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.65 ₹342

$10.32 €8.80

-64.63%

Cappuccino

$1.56 ₹147

$2.81 €2.40

-44.48%

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

$0.41 ₹38.09

$2.33 €1.99

-82.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.15 ₹13.82

$1.51 €1.29

-90.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.70 ₹160

$3.37 €2.87

-49.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 ₹296

$3.91 €3.34

-19.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 ₹66.5

$1.08 €0.92

-34.26%

White Bread (500g)

$0.49 ₹45.60

$1.75 €1.49

-72.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ₹66.6

$1.75 €1.50

-59.43%

Eggs

$0.89 ₹83.5

$3.10 €2.64

-71.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.91 ₹461

$13.28 €11.33

-63.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.02 ₹283

$7.85 €6.70

-61.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.05 €13.69

Apples (1kg)

$2.06 ₹194

$2.39 €2.04

-13.81%

Banana (1kg)

$0.69 ₹65.1

$1.72 €1.47

-59.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.00 ₹93.5

$1.97 €1.68

-49.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.50 ₹46.48

$2.55 €2.17

-80.39%

Potato (1kg)

$0.38 ₹35.73

$1.79 €1.53

-78.77%

Onion (1kg)

$0.45 ₹42.68

$1.97 €1.68

-77.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.49 ₹46.19

$1.96 €1.67

-75.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.31 ₹29.52

$0.84 €0.71

-63.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.02 ₹377

$6.82 €5.82

-41.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.21 ₹677

$5.85 €4.99

23.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 ₹167

$1.38 €1.18

28.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 ₹261

$2.92 €2.49

-4.45%

Buffalo Round (or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat) (1kg)

$5.58 ₹523

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.30 ₹28.34

$2.29 €1.95

-86.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$8.64 ₹810

$46.88 €39.99

-81.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.78 ₹73.5

$4.12 €3.51

-81.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 ₹25.41

$0.81 €0.69

-66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.44 ₹135

$18.94 €16.16

-92.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ₹110

$2.09 €1.78

-44.02%

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

$13.9K ₹1.3M

$35.1K €30.0K

-60.55%

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

$22.1K ₹2.1M

$39.7K €33.9K

-44.29%

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

$38.30 ₹3,595

$150 €128

-74.39%

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

$3.40 ₹320

$20.49 €17.48

-83.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$7.42 ₹696

$39.15 €33.40

-81.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.06 ₹1,507

$49.65 €42.35

-67.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.95 ₹652

$18.47 €15.76

-62.37%

Cinema Ticket

$2.99 ₹281

$9.20 €7.84

-67.50%

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

$52.0 ₹4,876

$624 €533

-91.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,554 ₹145.9K

$15.9K €13.6K

-90.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.28 ₹2,279

$102 €87.2

-76.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.62 ₹2,404

$40.88 €34.87

-37.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$42.26 ₹3,966

$95.7 €81.6

-55.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$30.19 ₹2,834

$121 €103

-75.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$126 ₹11.8K

$1,653 €1,410

-92.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$74.7 ₹7,013

$1,233 €1,051

-93.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$279 ₹26.2K

$3,043 €2,596

-90.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$177 ₹16.6K

$2,059 €1,756

-91.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,073 ₹100.7K

$7,879 €6,720

-86.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$602 ₹56.5K

$4,303 €3,671

-86.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 €1,336

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.67

3.81

127.56%

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

Last update for Varkala: April 20, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: April 21, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $126 in Varkala and $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $11 in Varkala vs $63 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $106 vs $270 per month, with Varkala 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

Varkala vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varkala and Lisbon differ by about 491% in total monthly costs ($380 vs $2,243 including rent). Varkala is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $569 in Varkala and $3,365 in Lisbon 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $126 in Varkala versus $1,653 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $52.0 in Varkala versus $624 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 155% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $380 in Varkala versus $2,243 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Varkala but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Varkala 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, Varkala 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 Varkala gentler on the wallet – expenses run 491% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.