Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Benoni Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Benoni

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,125 in Benoni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,479 in Benoni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,832 in Benoni.

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Benoni is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$8.61 R 140

84.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$33.95 R 552

90.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$4.89 R 79.4

114.93%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.05 R 33.24

40.00%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.01 R 16.49

121.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.80 R 12.95

87.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.29 R 37.14

52.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.55 R 41.40

52.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.14 R 18.46

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.01 R 16.46

73.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.72 R 27.88

2.33%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.38 R 38.60

35.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$7.65 R 124

76.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.68 R 76.0

69.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$6.41 R 104

147.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.67 R 27.19

38.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.48 R 24.11

14.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.49 R 24.22

34.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.58 R 25.72

55.70%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.32 R 21.53

39.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.16 R 18.89

72.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.09 R 17.64

77.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.90 R 14.60

-12.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.00 R 48.81

120.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$5.10 R 82.8

12.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.36 R 22.16

0.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.66 R 26.92

78.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.63 R 26.56

45.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.10 R 17.81

290.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.89 R 14.52

-7.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$3.14 R 51.0

482.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.29 R 20.92

59.69%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$22.7K R 368.6K

51.12%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$23.6K R 383.8K

66.37%

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

$148 €127

$124 R 2,023

18.78%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$40.70 R 661

-49.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$43.34 R 704

-8.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$16.54 R 269

189.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.12 R 116

28.93%

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

$614 €528

$205 R 3,339

198.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,399 R 71.5K

264.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$51.1 R 831

104.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$33.12 R 538

26.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$91.2 R 1,482

3.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$78.8 R 1,280

51.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$359 R 5,840

352.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$432 R 7,025

190.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$441 R 7,172

586.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$2,371 R 38.5K

-14.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$2,057 R 33.4K

-22.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.51

-66.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Benoni: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $359 in Benoni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 28% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Benoni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $176 per month, with Benoni 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 Benoni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Benoni differ by about 96% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,125 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Benoni earns 28% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $359 in Benoni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 53% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,125 in Benoni – a 96% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,125 in Benoni versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Benoni but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Benoni 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 Benoni 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 Benoni 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.