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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,107 in Benoni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,366 in Benoni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,624 in Benoni.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 105% more expensive than in Benoni, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Benoni is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$10.51 R 169

66.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$39.04 R 629

65.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$5.91 R 95.2

97.12%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.40 R 38.72

35.83%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.22 R 19.58

104.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.87 R 14.01

91.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.25 R 36.19

54.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.88 R 46.39

24.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.20 R 19.35

-1.67%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.12 R 18.03

74.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.78 R 28.72

-12.36%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.61 R 42.07

53.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$8.60 R 139

54.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$5.12 R 82.4

64.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$7.48 R 120

143.72%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.93 R 31.11

20.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.73 R 27.89

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$1.85 R 29.86

4.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.68 R 27.05

57.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.16 R 18.62

63.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.23 R 19.87

71.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.22 R 19.68

18.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.36 R 21.86

-41.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.47 R 55.9

102.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$5.16 R 83.1

14.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.57 R 25.30

-13.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.05 R 33.05

4.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.30 R 4.77

1296.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$0.93 R 14.97

18.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$14.83 R 239

16.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.49 R 24.00

51.01%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$37.0K R 595.6K

-6.80%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$33.6K R 540.4K

24.02%

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

$171 €147

$206 R 3,323

-17.18%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$38.13 R 614

-50.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$38.27 R 616

-10.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$18.41 R 296

169.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$7.67 R 123

31.68%

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

$699 €603

$252 R 4,053

177.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$5,665 R 91.2K

213.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$54.6 R 879

91.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$32.64 R 526

46.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$97.2 R 1,566

4.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$85.2 R 1,372

50.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$405 R 6,515

310.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$311 R 5,012

294.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$503 R 8,094

479.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$2,067 R 33.3K

-21.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

10.91

-65.35%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Benoni: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $405 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $39.00 in Benoni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $200 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 105% in total monthly costs ($2,268 vs $1,107 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Benoni. 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $405 in Benoni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 41% 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 $1,107 in Benoni – a 105% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,107 in Benoni versus $2,268 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 105% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.