Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hermanus and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Hermanus: $1,143 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Hermanus, South Africa
Lisbon, Portugal
Hermanus
🇿🇦 South Africa
$1,143
/mo nomad
Lisbon
🇵🇹 Portugal
$2,210
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hermanus and in Lisbon

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hermanus and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,143 in Hermanus versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

  • Hermanus $1,143
  • Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,761 in Hermanus versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

  • Hermanus $1,761
  • Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,379 in Hermanus versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

  • Hermanus $2,379
  • Lisbon $4,341

Living in Hermanus costs roughly 48% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Hermanus is 16% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Hermanus
Lisbon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$13.33 R 222
$16.65 €14.95
-19.94%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$34.96 R 583
$61.7 €55.5
-43.38%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$5.74 R 95.7
$11.36 €10.20
-49.47%
Cappuccino
$2.32 R 38.69
$2.97 €2.67
-21.89%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.09 R 18.20
$2.29 €2.06
-52.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.87 R 14.49
$1.74 €1.56
-50.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.48 R 41.39
$3.40 €3.06
-27.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.68 R 44.69
$3.31 €2.97
-19.03%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Hermanus
Lisbon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.16 R 19.32
$1.16 €1.04
-
White Bread (500g)
$1.10 R 18.29
$1.91 €1.72
-42.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.74 R 29.00
$1.51 €1.36
15.23%
Eggs
$2.57 R 42.85
$4.02 €3.61
-36.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.38 R 140
$12.94 €11.62
-35.24%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.90 R 81.7
$7.77 €6.98
-36.94%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$7.12 R 119
$17.76 €15.95
-59.91%
Apples (1kg)
$1.87 R 31.12
$2.30 €2.07
-18.70%
Banana (1kg)
$1.62 R 26.98
$1.73 €1.56
-6.36%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.74 R 29.00
$1.86 €1.67
-6.45%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.72 R 28.66
$2.59 €2.33
-33.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.54 R 25.59
$1.82 €1.64
-15.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.40 R 23.27
$1.97 €1.77
-28.93%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.25 R 20.75
$1.47 €1.32
-14.97%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.15 R 19.15
$0.72 €0.65
59.72%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.23 R 53.8
$6.58 €5.91
-50.91%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.81 R 114
$5.61 €5.04
21.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.47 R 24.49
$1.36 €1.22
8.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 R 32.55
$2.14 €1.92
-8.88%
🚌 Getting Around
Hermanus
Lisbon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.48 R 24.74
$2.33 €2.10
-36.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$44.68 €40.14
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.59 R 9.86
$3.85 €3.46
-84.68%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.95 R 15.88
$1.07 €0.96
-11.21%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.88 R 198
$16.46 €14.79
-27.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 R 24.70
$2.20 €1.98
-32.73%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K R 595.8K
$34.2K €30.7K
4.58%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$34.1K R 568.1K
$38.7K €34.8K
-11.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hermanus
Lisbon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$151 R 2,514
$161 €145
-6.40%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$35.84 R 597
$18.41 €16.54
94.68%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$40.58 R 676
$32.74 €29.41
23.95%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Hermanus
Lisbon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$21.59 R 360
$44.55 €40.02
-51.54%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.20 R 237
$19.10 €17.16
-25.65%
Cinema Ticket
$5.93 R 98.8
$9.60 €8.62
-38.23%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Hermanus
Lisbon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$247 R 4,114
$668 €600
-63.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,649 R 94.1K
$17.6K €15.8K
-67.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Hermanus
Lisbon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$53.6 R 894
$102 €91.6
-47.44%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.22 R 554
$44.46 €39.94
-25.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 R 1,720
$98.5 €88.5
4.80%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$87.4 R 1,457
$124 €111
-29.30%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Hermanus
Lisbon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$400 R 6,667
$1,608 €1,445
-75.12%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$372 R 6,197
$1,190 €1,069
-68.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$746 R 12.4K
$2,812 €2,526
-73.47%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$739 R 12.3K
$2,013 €1,808
-63.29%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$860 R 14.3K
$7,839 €7,042
-89.02%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$697 R 11.6K
$4,576 €4,110
-84.77%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Hermanus
Lisbon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$1,575 €1,415
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.94
3.85
184.16%

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

Last update for Hermanus: October 25, 2026

Last update for Lisbon: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Hermanus
$372
Lisbon
$1.2K 220% $818
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Hermanus
$227
Lisbon
$212 6.6% $15
Groceries & Markets
Hermanus
$196
Lisbon
$272 38.6% $76
Eating Out
Hermanus
$177
Lisbon
$243 36.8% $65
Clothing & Footwear
Hermanus
$125
Lisbon
$166 32.8% $41
Sport & Entertainment
Hermanus
$33
Lisbon
$64 90.6% $30
Getting Around
Hermanus
$11 *
Lisbon
$63 459% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $400 in Hermanus and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35 in Hermanus vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $196 vs $272 per month, with Hermanus cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇿🇦 Hermanus
🇵🇹 Lisbon
🕒 Local time
23:07 11:07 PM
21:07 9:07 PM
2 h behind Hermanus
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
56,139
545,923 Capital
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.55 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.898 EUR (1 EUR = 1.11 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Hermanus Lisbon 8,640 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Hermanus
  • Lisbon

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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
Hermanus vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Hermanus cheaper than Lisbon?
Hermanus is about 48% cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.
What income do you need for each city?
You’d need roughly $1,714 in Hermanus and $3,315 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.
What is the rent difference between Hermanus and Lisbon?
Rent for a central apartment: $400 in Hermanus versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do food prices compare in Hermanus and in Lisbon?
Supermarket bills run roughly 39% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
What are total monthly expenses in Hermanus and in Lisbon?
All in, you’ll spend $1,143 per month in Hermanus versus $2,210 in Lisbon – Hermanus is about 48% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Hermanus or in Lisbon?
At $1,143 in Hermanus versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Hermanus but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Hermanus the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Is it better to live in Hermanus or in Lisbon?
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.
Which city is safer, Hermanus or Lisbon?
Safety-wise, Hermanus and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

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