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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,159 in Bellville.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,822 in Bellville.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,485 in Bellville.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 96% more expensive than in Bellville, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Bellville is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$12.60 R 202

39.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$24.52 R 392

163.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$5.86 R 93.7

98.81%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$2.03 R 32.49

60.59%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$1.36 R 21.75

83.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$1.05 R 16.79

59.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.35 R 37.61

47.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$3.67 R 58.7

-2.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.41 R 22.63

-16.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.32 R 21.09

47.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$2.23 R 35.73

-30.04%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$3.08 R 49.24

30.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$9.11 R 146

45.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$7.31 R 117

15.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$9.54 R 153

91.09%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.00 R 31.96

16.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$2.00 R 31.98

-13.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.81 R 28.96

6.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$2.22 R 35.45

18.92%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.57 R 25.18

21.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.54 R 24.63

37.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.35 R 21.54

6.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.17 R 18.67

-31.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$3.74 R 59.8

87.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$6.13 R 98.1

-3.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.39 R 22.18

-2.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.30 R 36.73

-6.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.48 R 23.72

60.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$0.61 R 9.82

586.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$1.55 R 24.74

-29.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$5.25 R 83.9

228.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.57 R 25.16

43.31%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$37.5K R 599.5K

-8.01%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$33.0K R 527.2K

26.31%

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

$171 €147

$120 R 1,919

42.48%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$31.97 R 511

-40.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$40.77 R 652

-15.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$38.21 R 611

29.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$9.45 R 151

6.88%

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

$699 €601

$276 R 4,412

153.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$6,807 R 108.9K

161.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$58.0 R 928

80.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$33.27 R 532

44.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$121 R 1,942

-16.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$110 R 1,766

16.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$416 R 6,663

299.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$424 R 6,792

189.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$810 R 13.0K

259.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$782 R 12.5K

158.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$814 R 13.0K

898.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$612 R 9,791

657.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.02

-65.70%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Bellville: September 5, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $416 in Bellville. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $25.00 in Bellville for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $232 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 96% 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 $3,402 in Lisbon and $1,739 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $416 in Bellville. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 21% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,268 per month in Lisbon versus $1,159 in Bellville – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,159 in Bellville versus $2,268 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 $1,159 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 96% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.