Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ballito Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Ballito

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $1,024 in Ballito.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,511 in Ballito.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,998 in Ballito.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 118% more expensive than Ballito, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$7.67 R 129

110.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$28.41 R 476

127.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$4.97 R 83.4

108.85%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$1.92 R 32.22

44.27%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.88 R 14.82

155.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.71 R 11.95

121.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$1.90 R 31.93

83.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.26 R 37.89

76.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$0.99 R 16.60

9.09%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$0.80 R 13.45

117.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.41 R 23.63

23.40%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.00 R 33.51

59.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$6.01 R 101

123.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$4.34 R 72.8

84.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$6.23 R 104

158.27%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.37 R 23.05

66.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.43 R 24.00

20.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.37 R 22.99

41.61%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.00 R 16.83

154.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$0.77 R 12.99

137.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.22 R 20.50

67.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$1.02 R 17.03

94.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.97 R 16.32

-12.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$3.07 R 51.5

123.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$4.06 R 68.0

42.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$1.32 R 22.07

3.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.75 R 29.32

65.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.63 R 27.29

39.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

$25.10 R 421

86.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$1.71 R 28.75

138.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.56 R 9.33

46.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$6.71 R 112

172.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.23 R 20.63

63.41%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$19.8K R 332.1K

78.08%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$22.8K R 382.1K

68.94%

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

$145 €124

$105 R 1,755

38.94%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$20.77 R 348

0.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$27.62 R 463

45.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$30.70 R 515

58.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

$11.28 R 189

65.69%

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$5.70 R 95.6

58.95%

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

$607 €519

$139 R 2,327

337.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$2,506 R 42.0K

551.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$41.27 R 692

153.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$30.56 R 513

34.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$56.4 R 945

66.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$72.2 R 1,211

64.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$363 R 6,083

342.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$444 R 7,443

178.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$696 R 11.7K

337.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$698 R 11.7K

194.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$1,386 R 23.2K

456.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$1,098 R 18.4K

288.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$1,618 R 27.1K

-2.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

12.01

-68.28%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 26, 2026

Last update for Ballito: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $363 in Ballito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ballito pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Ballito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $155 per month, with Ballito 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

Lisbon vs Ballito: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballito is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 118% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, Ballito earns 2% 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $363 in Ballito. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ballito – a meal for two runs $28.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,227 per month in Lisbon versus $1,024 in Ballito – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,024 in Ballito versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ballito but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Ballito the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Ballito 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, Lisbon and Ballito 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 Ballito gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.