Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Howick and Lisbon

For one person, living is cheaper in Howick: $1,081 a month against $2,210 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $13,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Howick
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Howick Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Howick

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,081

/mo nomad

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,210

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Howick 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 Howick and in Lisbon actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,081 in Howick versus $2,210 in Lisbon.

Howick $1,081
Lisbon $2,210

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,676 in Howick versus $3,275 in Lisbon.

Howick $1,676
Lisbon $3,275

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,271 in Howick versus $4,341 in Lisbon.

Howick $2,271
Lisbon $4,341

Living in Howick costs roughly 51% less than in Lisbon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Howick is 21% below, Lisbon is 62% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.03 R 133

$16.65 €14.92

-51.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.85 R 645

$61.7 €55.3

-37.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.50 R 91.3

$11.36 €10.18

-51.58%

Cappuccino

$2.66 R 44.23

$2.97 €2.66

-10.44%

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

$1.09 R 18.19

$2.29 €2.05

-52.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 R 15.32

$1.74 €1.56

-47.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.39 R 39.69

$3.40 €3.05

-29.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 R 41.80

$3.31 €2.97

-23.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 R 20.08

$1.16 €1.04

4.31%

White Bread (500g)

$0.98 R 16.30

$1.91 €1.71

-48.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 R 25.92

$1.51 €1.36

3.31%

Eggs

$2.34 R 38.88

$4.02 €3.60

-41.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.23 R 137

$12.94 €11.59

-36.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.28 R 87.7

$7.77 €6.97

-32.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.20 R 120

$17.76 €15.92

-59.46%

Apples (1kg)

$1.99 R 33.03

$2.30 €2.06

-13.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.88 R 31.24

$1.73 €1.55

8.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 R 31.86

$1.86 €1.66

3.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.70 R 28.22

$2.59 €2.32

-34.36%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 R 24.76

$1.82 €1.63

-18.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.46 R 24.33

$1.97 €1.76

-25.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.21 R 20.17

$1.47 €1.32

-17.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 R 19.78

$0.72 €0.65

65.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.68 R 61.1

$6.58 €5.90

-44.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.84 R 80.4

$5.61 €5.02

-13.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 R 24.15

$1.36 €1.22

6.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 R 31.23

$2.14 €1.91

-12.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 R 25.52

$2.33 €2.09

-33.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.68 €40.04

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.45 R 7.49

$3.85 €3.45

-88.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.75 R 12.41

$1.07 €0.96

-29.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.56 R 126

$16.46 €14.75

-54.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 R 22.68

$2.20 €1.97

-37.73%

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

$36.1K R 600.3K

$34.2K €30.6K

5.70%

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

$33.1K R 550.2K

$38.7K €34.7K

-14.46%

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

$150 R 2,491

$161 €144

-6.98%

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

$15.25 R 253

$18.41 €16.50

-17.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.18 R 667

$32.74 €29.34

22.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.93 R 530

$44.55 €39.92

-28.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.99 R 183

$19.10 €17.11

-42.46%

Cinema Ticket

$7.09 R 118

$9.60 €8.60

-26.15%

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

$309 R 5,141

$668 €598

-53.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,814 R 129.8K

$17.6K €15.8K

-55.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 R 899

$102 €91.4

-46.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.61 R 508

$44.46 €39.85

-31.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 R 1,636

$98.5 €88.3

-0.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.3 R 1,400

$124 €111

-31.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$395 R 6,567

$1,608 €1,441

-75.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$366 R 6,078

$1,190 €1,066

-69.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$735 R 12.2K

$2,812 €2,520

-73.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$734 R 12.2K

$2,013 €1,804

-63.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$868 R 14.4K

$7,839 €7,025

-88.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$675 R 11.2K

$4,576 €4,100

-85.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,575 €1,411

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.78

3.85

205.97%

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

Last update for Howick: 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

Howick

$366 33.9%

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8% 225% $824

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Howick

$205 19%

Lisbon

$212 9.6% 3.4% $7

Groceries & Markets

Howick

$195 18%

Lisbon

$272 12.3% 39.8% $77

Eating Out

Howick

$138 12.8%

Lisbon

$243 11% 76.1% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Howick

$120 11.1%

Lisbon

$166 7.5% 37.8% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Howick

$46 4.3%

Lisbon

$64 2.9% 38.2% $18

Getting Around

Howick

$10 * 1%

Lisbon

$63 2.9% 512% $53

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 $395 in Howick and $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39 in Howick vs $62 in Lisbon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $195 vs $272 per month, with Howick cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇿🇦 Howick

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

08:17 8:17 AM

2 h behind Howick

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

32,453

545,923 Capital

💱 Currency

South African Rand ZAR R

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

100 ZAR = 6.02 USD

100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR, USD to ZAR – South African Rand Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇿🇦 South African Rand (R)

South African Rand exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 16.61 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6.02 USD). 1 EUR = 18.54 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.39 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 29, 2026: 1 USD = 0.896 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

USD to ZAR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Howick Lisbon 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Howick
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

Howick vs Lisbon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howick is about 51% cheaper overall, especially in eating out, groceries, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $1,621 in Howick 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $395 in Howick versus $1,608 in Lisbon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $309 in Howick versus $668 in Lisbon. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Howick – a meal for two runs $39 versus $62 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,081 in Howick versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Howick but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Howick 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, Howick and Lisbon are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.