Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bambous Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bambous

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $976 in Bambous.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,610 in Bambous.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,244 in Bambous.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 127% more expensive than Bambous, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Bambous is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$4.48 MUR 211

252.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$43.39 MUR 2,043

43.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$4.39 MUR 207

140.09%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$2.16 MUR 102

28.24%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$0.96 MUR 45.13

137.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.45 MUR 21.22

244.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$2.14 MUR 101

65.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$1.68 MUR 78.9

136.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.17 MUR 55.3

-7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.65 MUR 30.75

172.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.09 MUR 51.3

62.39%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$2.30 MUR 108

35.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$11.67 MUR 550

14.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$3.20 MUR 151

149.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$4.29 MUR 202

271.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$2.07 MUR 97.5

10.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$2.02 MUR 94.9

-18.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.46 MUR 68.7

35.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$2.66 MUR 125

-7.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$0.99 MUR 46.71

78.79%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$0.96 MUR 45.01

105.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$0.80 MUR 37.61

146.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.81 MUR 38.31

-1.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$6.47 MUR 305

1.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$8.30 MUR 391

-30.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.78 MUR 83.7

-25.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$2.22 MUR 105

34.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.04 MUR 49.17

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$4.38 MUR 206

-2.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$2.72 MUR 128

-69.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$19.64 MUR 925

-3.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.45 MUR 68.4

42.76%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$36.4K MUR 1.7M

-3.31%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$28.7K MUR 1.3M

34.69%

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

$151 €130

$48.53 MUR 2,285

211.42%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$18.35 MUR 864

13.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$33.36 MUR 1,571

18.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$38.21 MUR 1,799

26.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$6.02 MUR 283

50.17%

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

$610 €525

$154 MUR 7,270

295.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$3,975 MUR 187.2K

309.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$83.6 MUR 3,937

21.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$78.7 MUR 3,705

-48.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$134 MUR 6,315

-30.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$95.0 MUR 4,470

24.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$512 MUR 24.1K

213.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$348 MUR 16.4K

256.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$966 MUR 45.5K

212.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$736 MUR 34.6K

180.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

6.67

-42.88%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Bambous: June 16, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $512 in Bambous. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $43.00 in Bambous for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $185 per month, with Bambous 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 Bambous: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Bambous differ by about 127% in total monthly costs ($2,217 vs $976 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,325 in Lisbon and $1,465 in Bambous 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $512 in Bambous. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $610 in Lisbon versus $154 in Bambous. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bambous – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $976 in Bambous versus $2,217 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bambous but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bambous 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, Lisbon and Bambous 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 Bambous gentler on the wallet – expenses run 127% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.