Cost of Living Comparison Between Grahamstown and Lisbon Cost of Living Comparison Between Grahamstown and Lisbon

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,011 in Grahamstown versus $2,217 in Lisbon.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,563 in Grahamstown versus $3,245 in Lisbon.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,115 in Grahamstown versus $4,272 in Lisbon.

Living in Grahamstown costs roughly 54% less than in Lisbon, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Grahamstown is 24% below, Lisbon is 66% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.77 R 142

$15.78 €13.59

-44.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.15 R 553

$62.5 €53.8

-45.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.92 R 79.7

$10.54 €9.07

-53.32%

Cappuccino

$2.10 R 33.97

$2.77 €2.38

-24.19%

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

$1.00 R 16.17

$2.28 €1.97

-56.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.78 R 12.59

$1.55 €1.33

-49.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.21 R 35.70

$3.55 €3.05

-37.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 R 40.20

$3.98 €3.43

-37.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 R 18.76

$1.08 €0.93

7.41%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 R 16.84

$1.77 €1.52

-41.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.57 R 25.44

$1.77 €1.52

-11.30%

Eggs

$2.42 R 39.25

$3.12 €2.69

-22.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.79 R 126

$13.34 €11.49

-41.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.54 R 73.5

$7.99 €6.88

-43.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.88 R 111

$15.92 €13.70

-56.78%

Apples (1kg)

$1.67 R 27.10

$2.28 €1.97

-26.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.51 R 24.51

$1.64 €1.42

-7.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.53 R 24.81

$1.98 €1.70

-22.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 R 26.50

$2.45 €2.11

-33.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 R 22.10

$1.77 €1.52

-22.60%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 R 19.89

$1.97 €1.69

-37.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 R 17.57

$1.97 €1.70

-44.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 R 15.47

$0.80 €0.69

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.82 R 45.65

$6.54 €5.63

-56.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.89 R 79.1

$5.75 €4.95

-14.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 R 21.49

$1.32 €1.13

0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 R 27.89

$2.99 €2.57

-42.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 R 26.10

$2.34 €2.01

-31.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.11 R 17.90

$4.26 €3.66

-73.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.90 R 14.65

$0.84 €0.73

7.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 R 63.3

$18.86 €16.24

-79.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 R 20.13

$2.07 €1.78

-40.10%

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

$21.1K R 341.1K

$35.2K €30.3K

-40.21%

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

$23.9K R 386.8K

$38.6K €33.2K

-38.10%

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

$116 R 1,880

$151 €130

-23.13%

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

$35.38 R 573

$20.91 €18.00

69.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.31 R 685

$39.54 €34.05

7.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.28 R 506

$48.39 €41.67

-35.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

Cinema Ticket

$6.79 R 110

$9.04 €7.79

-24.89%

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

$200 R 3,231

$610 €525

-67.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,321 R 69.9K

$16.3K €14.0K

-73.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 R 813

$101 €87.2

-50.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.79 R 515

$40.58 €34.94

-21.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.5 R 1,416

$93.0 €80.1

-5.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$78.6 R 1,272

$119 €102

-33.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$369 R 5,970

$1,603 €1,380

-76.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$339 R 5,486

$1,239 €1,067

-72.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$677 R 11.0K

$3,019 €2,599

-77.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$683 R 11.1K

$2,061 €1,775

-66.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$832 R 13.5K

$7,981 €6,872

-89.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$691 R 11.2K

$4,533 €3,903

-84.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,224 R 19.8K

$1,628 €1,402

-24.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.51

3.81

202.10%

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

Last update for Grahamstown: June 14, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $369 in Grahamstown and $1,603 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 33% 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: $34.00 in Grahamstown vs $62.0 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $179 vs $268 per month, with Grahamstown 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

Grahamstown vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 119% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grahamstown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Lisbon earns 33% 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: $369 in Grahamstown versus $1,603 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,011 per month in Grahamstown versus $2,217 in Lisbon – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,011 in Grahamstown versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grahamstown but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Grahamstown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grahamstown delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,011 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grahamstown hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.