Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Cape Town and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $1,273 per month in Cape Town vs $2,210 in Lisbon, rent included.

A couple spends around $1,983 per month in Cape Town vs $3,311 in Lisbon, rent included.

A family of three spends $2,693 per month in Cape Town vs $4,411 in Lisbon, rent included.

Cape Town is about 42% cheaper than Lisbon, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Cape Town sits 5% below the global median, while Lisbon is 65% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.02 R 180

$15.91 €13.70

-30.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.99 R 734

$64.8 €55.8

-30.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.91 R 80.1

$10.51 €9.05

-53.28%

Cappuccino

$2.00 R 32.62

$2.87 €2.47

-30.31%

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

$1.10 R 18.02

$2.24 €1.93

-50.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.83 R 13.48

$1.50 €1.29

-44.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.87 R 46.76

$3.49 €3.01

-17.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.52

$3.88 €3.34

-36.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 R 18.69

$1.14 €0.98

0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 R 17.66

$1.75 €1.51

-38.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.87 R 30.51

$1.76 €1.51

6.25%

Eggs

$2.47 R 40.28

$3.22 €2.77

-23.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.57 R 140

$13.49 €11.61

-36.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.14 R 83.8

$7.91 €6.81

-35.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.66 R 125

$15.87 €13.67

-51.73%

Apples (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.34

$2.31 €1.99

-35.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.36

$1.70 €1.46

-12.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.38

$2.01 €1.73

-25.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.59 R 25.95

$2.46 €2.12

-35.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 R 17.61

$1.84 €1.59

-41.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.24 R 20.24

$2.00 €1.72

-38.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 R 17.90

$1.93 €1.66

-43.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.64

$0.79 €0.68

21.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.04 R 49.54

$6.61 €5.69

-54.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.18 R 101

$5.72 €4.93

8.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 R 23.06

$1.37 €1.18

2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 R 27.34

$2.97 €2.56

-43.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.93 R 15.24

$2.37 €2.04

-60.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$47.91 R 782

$45.56 €39.22

5.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.38 R 22.52

$4.29 €3.69

-67.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.93 R 15.20

$0.82 €0.70

13.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.36 R 71.2

$18.30 €15.76

-76.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 R 20.42

$2.06 €1.78

-39.32%

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

$21.3K R 348.3K

$34.3K €29.5K

-37.73%

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

$24.5K R 399.1K

$39.3K €33.8K

-37.75%

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

$98.3 R 1,604

$148 €127

-33.52%

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

$33.19 R 542

$20.52 €17.67

61.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.75 R 665

$39.61 €34.10

2.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.68 R 680

$47.85 €41.19

-12.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.15 R 133

$18.92 €16.29

-56.92%

Cinema Ticket

$6.55 R 107

$9.18 €7.91

-28.65%

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

$211 R 3,450

$614 €529

-65.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,300 R 86.5K

$16.0K €13.8K

-66.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 R 910

$105 €90.1

-46.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.78 R 535

$42.06 €36.21

-22.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 R 1,877

$94.0 €80.9

22.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.5 R 1,379

$120 €103

-29.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$765 R 12.5K

$1,628 €1,401

-53.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 R 8,488

$1,255 €1,081

-58.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,430 R 23.3K

$3,030 €2,609

-52.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 R 16.5K

$2,020 €1,739

-49.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,344 R 38.2K

$7,800 €6,715

-69.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,506 R 24.6K

$4,273 €3,678

-64.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,683 R 27.5K

$1,603 €1,380

4.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.77

3.81

208.92%

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

Last update for Cape Town: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $765 in Cape Town versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 5% higher in Cape Town, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $45.00 in Cape Town versus $65.0 in Lisbon. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $189 vs $269 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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

Cape Town vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 74% more than Cape Town, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,909 per month in Cape Town and $3,315 in Lisbon. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,273 in Cape Town and $2,210 in Lisbon. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,273, than in Lisbon at $2,210. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,273 versus $2,210 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Cape Town. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.