Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaborone and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $836 in Gaborone versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

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

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,786 in Gaborone versus $4,411 in Lisbon.

Living in Gaborone costs roughly 62% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Gaborone is 38% below, Lisbon is 65% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 P 96.2

$15.91 €13.70

-53.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$29.91 P 392

$64.8 €55.8

-53.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.92 P 77.7

$10.51 €9.05

-43.67%

Cappuccino

$2.25 P 29.45

$2.87 €2.47

-21.60%

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

$0.89 P 11.70

$2.24 €1.93

-60.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 P 6.65

$1.50 €1.30

-66.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.19 P 28.68

$3.49 €3.01

-37.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 P 39.29

$3.88 €3.34

-22.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 P 18.34

$1.14 €0.98

22.81%

White Bread (500g)

$0.86 P 11.32

$1.75 €1.51

-50.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 P 22.86

$1.76 €1.51

-1.14%

Eggs

$2.28 P 29.97

$3.22 €2.77

-29.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.64 P 100

$13.49 €11.62

-43.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.98 P 65.4

$7.91 €6.81

-37.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.47 P 71.8

$15.87 €13.67

-65.53%

Apples (1kg)

$1.83 P 24.02

$2.31 €1.99

-20.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 P 18.01

$1.70 €1.46

-19.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 P 24.19

$2.01 €1.73

-8.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.57 P 20.57

$2.46 €2.12

-36.18%

Potato (1kg)

$1.42 P 18.65

$1.84 €1.59

-22.83%

Onion (1kg)

$1.20 P 15.70

$2.00 €1.72

-40.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.17 P 15.37

$1.93 €1.66

-39.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 P 12.04

$0.79 €0.68

16.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.65 P 47.87

$6.61 €5.69

-44.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.24 P 55.7

$5.72 €4.93

-25.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 P 20.94

$1.37 €1.18

16.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.09 P 27.39

$2.97 €2.56

-29.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 P 6.99

$2.37 €2.04

-77.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.23 P 397

$45.56 €39.23

-33.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.58 P 7.60

$4.29 €3.69

-86.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 P 35.73

$0.82 €0.70

231.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 P 38.59

$18.30 €15.76

-83.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 P 14.94

$2.06 €1.78

-44.66%

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

$22.7K P 297.2K

$34.3K €29.5K

-33.91%

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

$17.1K P 223.8K

$39.3K €33.8K

-56.57%

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

$70.9 P 931

$148 €127

-52.03%

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

$25.80 P 338

$20.52 €17.67

25.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.3 P 1,027

$39.61 €34.11

97.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.13 P 435

$47.85 €41.20

-30.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.22 P 200

$18.92 €16.29

-19.56%

Cinema Ticket

$6.62 P 86.9

$9.18 €7.91

-27.89%

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

$185 P 2,427

$614 €529

-69.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,837 P 50.3K

$16.0K €13.8K

-76.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.61 P 546

$105 €90.1

-60.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$24.02 P 315

$42.06 €36.22

-42.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 P 982

$94.0 €80.9

-20.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.5 P 1,292

$120 €103

-17.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$244 P 3,199

$1,628 €1,402

-85.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$144 P 1,882

$1,255 €1,081

-88.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$530 P 6,955

$3,030 €2,609

-82.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$337 P 4,425

$2,020 €1,740

-83.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,011 P 26.4K

$7,800 €6,716

-74.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,299 P 17.0K

$4,273 €3,679

-69.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$452 P 5,928

$1,603 €1,381

-71.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.12

3.81

139.37%

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

Last update for Gaborone: May 31, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $244 in Gaborone and $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 255% 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: $30.00 in Gaborone vs $65.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $269 per month, with Gaborone 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

Gaborone vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gaborone is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Getting Around, Sport & Entertainment. The 164% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Lisbon earns 255% 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: $244 in Gaborone versus $1,628 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 51% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gaborone – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $836 in Gaborone versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gaborone but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Gaborone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gaborone is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Gaborone 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 Gaborone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.