Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bellville Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bellville

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $917 in Bellville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,416 in Bellville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,914 in Bellville.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 141% more expensive than Bellville, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Bellville is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$10.81 R 177

47.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$22.28 R 364

190.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$4.97 R 81.2

111.47%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$1.77 R 29.00

62.15%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.15 R 18.86

94.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.82 R 13.34

82.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.01 R 32.89

73.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.55 R 41.70

52.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.08 R 17.65

5.56%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.82 R 13.36

113.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.50 R 24.59

17.33%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.50 R 40.92

28.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$4.23 R 69.2

218.91%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.38 R 71.6

80.59%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$7.20 R 118

120.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.04 R 17.03

122.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.38 R 22.53

23.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.05 R 17.12

91.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.10 R 17.96

123.64%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.07 R 17.56

71.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.23 R 20.19

62.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.70 R 11.37

175.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.02 R 16.61

-22.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$2.54 R 41.50

160.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$6.23 R 102

-8.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.98 R 16.03

39.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.68 R 27.45

76.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.61 R 26.27

47.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

$19.96 R 326

128.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$0.54 R 8.75

694.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.37 R 6.00

121.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$2.73 R 44.66

570.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.20 R 19.59

71.67%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$21.2K R 346.9K

61.56%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$19.6K R 320.7K

100.31%

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

$148 €127

$56.5 R 924

161.67%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$32.51 R 531

-36.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$28.06 R 459

41.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$31.66 R 518

51.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$6.70 R 110

37.01%

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

$614 €529

$84.4 R 1,380

627.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$5,322 R 87.0K

201.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$25.12 R 411

316.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$11.38 R 186

269.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$84.8 R 1,387

10.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$49.44 R 808

142.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$371 R 6,066

338.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$327 R 5,353

283.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

$678 R 11.1K

346.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$679 R 11.1K

197.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

$766 R 12.5K

917.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

$641 R 10.5K

566.89%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.77

-67.63%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Bellville: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $371 in Bellville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $22.00 in Bellville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $156 per month, with Bellville 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 Bellville: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bellville wins on cost – living expenses run 141% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bellville the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,315 in Lisbon and $1,375 in Bellville 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $371 in Bellville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bellville – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $917 in Bellville versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bellville but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bellville the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bellville delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $917 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bellville hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Bellville 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 Bellville gentler on the wallet – expenses run 141% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.