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: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $985 in Bambous.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,620 in Bambous.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $2,255 in Bambous.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 126% more expensive than Bambous, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Bambous is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.79

$4.38 MUR 205

269.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.1

$43.78 MUR 2,049

47.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.85

$4.52 MUR 211

129.65%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.21 MUR 103

25.34%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$1.02 MUR 47.78

120.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.34

$0.45 MUR 21.27

248.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.98

$2.25 MUR 105

55.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.42

$1.69 MUR 79.2

136.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.92

$1.23 MUR 57.5

-12.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.48

$0.65 MUR 30.62

167.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.48

$1.12 MUR 52.5

55.36%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.71

$2.22 MUR 104

43.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.46

$11.92 MUR 558

12.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.82

$3.34 MUR 156

139.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.73

$4.27 MUR 200

276.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$2.05 MUR 96.1

11.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.47

$1.95 MUR 91.4

-11.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.45 MUR 68.1

33.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.17

$2.64 MUR 123

-3.79%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.56

$0.99 MUR 46.43

84.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.74

$0.93 MUR 43.73

119.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.80 MUR 37.27

147.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.76 MUR 35.41

11.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.85

$6.40 MUR 300

7.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.93

$8.60 MUR 402

-32.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.73 MUR 80.8

-20.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.47

$2.18 MUR 102

33.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$0.99 MUR 46.39

130.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €39.96

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.48

$4.31 MUR 202

-5.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$2.74 MUR 128

-70.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.58

$19.51 MUR 913

-6.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.71

$1.41 MUR 66.0

42.55%

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

$35.3K €30.1K

$35.8K MUR 1.7M

-1.49%

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

$38.5K €32.8K

$28.4K MUR 1.3M

35.75%

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

$145 €124

$48.82 MUR 2,285

197.83%

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

$20.96 €17.88

$18.00 MUR 842

16.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.17

$33.69 MUR 1,577

18.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.61

$38.75 MUR 1,814

25.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €15.95

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.73

$6.10 MUR 286

48.52%

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

$607 €517

$157 MUR 7,347

286.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €13.9K

$3,951 MUR 184.9K

313.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.3

$85.0 MUR 3,978

23.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €34.93

$79.4 MUR 3,714

-48.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €79.8

$134 MUR 6,270

-30.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$93.7 MUR 4,384

26.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,368

$511 MUR 23.9K

213.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,054

$352 MUR 16.5K

251.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,598

$939 MUR 43.9K

224.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,754

$727 MUR 34.0K

182.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,576

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,639

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,351

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Bambous: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $511 in Bambous. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65 in Lisbon vs $44 in Bambous for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $186 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 126% in total monthly costs ($2,227 vs $985 including rent). Bambous is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,341 in Lisbon and $1,478 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $511 in Bambous. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 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 $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $985 in Bambous versus $2,227 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 126% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.