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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,051 in Ballito.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,501 in Ballito.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $1,951 in Ballito.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 117% more expensive than in Ballito, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Ballito is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$7.72 R 127

104.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$28.03 R 461

126.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$5.01 R 82.5

108.58%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.00 R 32.89

45.50%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.89 R 14.61

157.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.72 R 11.85

108.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$1.92 R 31.53

85.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.22 R 36.59

78.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$0.98 R 16.17

10.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.75 R 12.43

134.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.47 R 24.24

15.65%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.07 R 34.06

57.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$6.11 R 101

116.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$4.42 R 72.8

74.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$6.42 R 106

145.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.42 R 23.44

60.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.42 R 23.38

16.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.34 R 22.01

50.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$0.95 R 15.65

160.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$0.78 R 12.92

129.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.17 R 19.30

76.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.02 R 16.82

93.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.95 R 15.59

-12.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$3.04 R 49.98

115.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$4.85 R 79.9

14.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.32 R 21.73

0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.76 R 28.99

71.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.67 R 27.44

35.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

$25.51 R 420

81.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.66 R 27.25

154.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.56 R 9.20

51.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$6.80 R 112

176.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.26 R 20.76

60.32%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$20.5K R 337.4K

70.59%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$22.2K R 365.8K

78.40%

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

$148 €128

$104 R 1,710

42.42%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$20.79 R 342

-1.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$28.29 R 466

39.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$30.61 R 504

57.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

$10.98 R 181

67.49%

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$5.49 R 90.3

65.76%

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

$615 €532

$140 R 2,300

339.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$2,473 R 40.7K

558.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$41.58 R 684

144.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$30.33 R 499

38.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$56.5 R 930

63.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$71.6 R 1,178

70.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$367 R 6,042

339.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$451 R 7,417

178.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$691 R 11.4K

344.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$700 R 11.5K

190.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,442 R 23.7K

11.07%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Ballito: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $367 in Ballito. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 11% 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Ballito for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $157 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 117% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 11% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $367 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 $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,280 per month in Lisbon versus $1,051 in Ballito – a 117% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,051 in Ballito versus $2,280 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 117% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.