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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $975 in Bambous.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,574 in Bambous.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,174 in Bambous.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 134% more expensive than in Bambous, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Bambous is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$4.44 MUR 208

254.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$43.73 MUR 2,049

45.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$4.44 MUR 208

135.36%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$2.14 MUR 100

35.98%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$0.96 MUR 45.07

138.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.46 MUR 21.53

226.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.26 MUR 106

57.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$1.61 MUR 75.6

145.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.23 MUR 57.4

-12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$0.70 MUR 32.64

151.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.13 MUR 52.9

50.44%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.31 MUR 108

40.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$11.91 MUR 558

11.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$3.26 MUR 153

136.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$4.44 MUR 208

255.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.97 MUR 92.3

15.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$2.02 MUR 94.4

-17.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.46 MUR 68.2

38.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$2.63 MUR 123

-6.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.03 MUR 48.32

73.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.01 MUR 47.18

104.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$0.84 MUR 39.13

134.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.81 MUR 38.14

2.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$6.56 MUR 307

-0.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$8.21 MUR 385

-32.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.74 MUR 81.5

-23.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$2.26 MUR 106

33.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.00 MUR 46.83

127.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$4.49 MUR 210

-5.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$2.62 MUR 123

-67.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$19.98 MUR 936

-5.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.45 MUR 68.1

39.31%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$35.4K MUR 1.7M

-1.17%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$29.1K MUR 1.4M

36.06%

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

$148 €128

$50.4 MUR 2,361

193.51%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$18.70 MUR 876

9.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$33.21 MUR 1,556

19.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$38.47 MUR 1,802

25.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$5.91 MUR 277

53.98%

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

$615 €532

$157 MUR 7,336

292.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$3,965 MUR 185.7K

310.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$83.9 MUR 3,928

21.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$78.3 MUR 3,666

-46.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$131 MUR 6,123

-29.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$95.7 MUR 4,483

27.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$504 MUR 23.6K

219.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$353 MUR 16.5K

255.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$952 MUR 44.6K

222.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$713 MUR 33.4K

185.70%

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

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Bambous: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $504 in Bambous. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $44.00 in Bambous for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $187 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 134% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $975 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,420 in Lisbon and $1,463 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $504 in Bambous. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $157 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 $44.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $975 in Bambous versus $2,280 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 134% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.