Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bhisho Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bhisho

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,039 in Bhisho.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,620 in Bhisho.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,202 in Bhisho.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 118% more expensive than Bhisho, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Bhisho is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$8.36 R 135

90.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$33.45 R 541

89.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$4.90 R 79.2

111.84%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$2.06 R 33.24

35.44%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.00 R 16.11

134.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.76 R 12.25

106.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.27 R 36.73

51.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.55 R 41.30

53.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.16 R 18.80

-6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.00 R 16.20

77.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.56 R 25.14

9.62%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.47 R 40.00

27.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$7.90 R 128

73.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$4.44 R 71.8

80.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$6.80 R 110

128.24%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.67 R 26.96

37.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.53 R 24.65

7.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.47 R 23.73

31.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.59 R 25.72

57.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.33 R 21.48

34.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.20 R 19.38

67.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.04 R 16.83

89.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.92 R 14.93

-8.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$2.78 R 44.90

144.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$4.93 R 79.8

15.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.39 R 22.45

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.72 R 27.85

75.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.60 R 25.90

41.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

$22.18 R 359

104.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.10 R 17.79

290.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.95 R 15.42

-10.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$3.92 R 63.3

366.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.29 R 20.85

54.26%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$20.9K R 337.6K

67.78%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$23.5K R 379.3K

68.57%

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

$146 €126

$117 R 1,892

24.92%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$35.60 R 575

-42.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$41.94 R 678

-7.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$30.79 R 498

59.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

$11.34 R 183

66.05%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$6.66 R 108

42.94%

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

$608 €524

$200 R 3,235

203.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$4,292 R 69.4K

284.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$50.9 R 823

104.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$32.76 R 530

28.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$89.5 R 1,447

3.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$78.7 R 1,273

52.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$362 R 5,855

347.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$330 R 5,340

283.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$690 R 11.2K

341.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$686 R 11.1K

192.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$897 R 14.5K

754.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$701 R 11.3K

517.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$3,310 R 53.5K

-52.12%

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 8, 2026

Last update for Bhisho: June 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $362 in Bhisho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhisho pays 109% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $33.00 in Bhisho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $177 per month, with Bhisho 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 Bhisho: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bhisho wins on cost – living expenses run 118% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bhisho the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Bhisho earns 109% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $362 in Bhisho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $200 in Bhisho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 52% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,039 in Bhisho versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bhisho but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bhisho the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bhisho delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,039 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bhisho hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Bhisho 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 Bhisho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.