Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bhisho

For one person, living is cheaper in Bhisho: $1,142 a month against $2,206 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Bhisho
Learn more

Bhisho Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,206

/mo nomad

Bhisho

🇿🇦 South Africa

$1,142

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Bhisho

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Bhisho actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,206 in Lisbon versus $1,142 in Bhisho.

Lisbon $2,206
Bhisho $1,142

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,276 in Lisbon versus $1,802 in Bhisho.

Lisbon $3,276
Bhisho $1,802

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $2,462 in Bhisho.

Lisbon $4,346
Bhisho $2,462

Living in Lisbon is roughly 93% more expensive than in Bhisho, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 63% above, Bhisho is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 €15.08

$10.99 R 183

53.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 €54.6

$42.60 R 710

43.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 €9.82

$5.88 R 98.1

86.73%

Cappuccino

$3.05 €2.73

$2.06 R 34.28

48.06%

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

$2.28 €2.04

$1.02 R 16.98

123.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 €1.50

$0.73 R 12.21

130.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.44 €3.07

$2.66 R 44.24

29.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.49

$3.18 R 53.0

22.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.03

$1.13 R 18.87

1.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.89 €1.69

$1.04 R 17.37

81.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.34

$1.51 R 25.09

-0.66%

Eggs

$4.12 €3.68

$2.71 R 45.09

52.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.01 €11.63

$8.81 R 147

47.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.04 €7.19

$5.20 R 86.7

54.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.89 €16.00

$8.53 R 142

109.73%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.03

$2.18 R 36.32

4.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.56

$1.53 R 25.49

13.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.82 €1.63

$1.68 R 27.92

8.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.69 €2.40

$1.73 R 28.86

55.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.58

$1.67 R 27.81

5.99%

Onion (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$1.42 R 23.70

36.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.46 €1.31

$1.25 R 20.78

16.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.76 €0.68

$0.98 R 16.38

-22.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.66 €5.95

$3.30 R 55.0

101.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.04

$4.70 R 78.4

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.29 €1.15

$1.22 R 20.25

5.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 €1.91

$1.76 R 29.36

21.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.30 €2.06

$1.78 R 29.64

29.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.02 €39.36

$23.99 R 400

83.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 €3.56

$0.83 R 13.75

379.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 €0.57

$0.50 R 8.33

28.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.93 €16.92

$8.31 R 139

127.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.47 R 24.53

55.10%

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

$33.4K €29.8K

$34.4K R 573.1K

-2.97%

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

$38.5K €34.4K

$35.4K R 589.9K

8.77%

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

$158 €141

$124 R 2,073

27.15%

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

$17.54 €15.68

$34.58 R 576

-49.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.18 €27.89

$45.53 R 759

-31.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.64 €39.92

$32.31 R 538

38.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.98 €16.97

$11.98 R 200

58.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.58 €8.56

$10.38 R 173

-7.71%

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

$674 €602

$177 R 2,955

279.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.7K €16.7K

$6,036 R 100.6K

210.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €91.4

$70.7 R 1,178

44.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.90 €41.04

$38.97 R 649

17.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €91.4

$110 R 1,834

-7.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €109

$97.3 R 1,621

25.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,641 €1,467

$398 R 6,625

312.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 €1,062

$355 R 5,908

234.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 €2,526

$717 R 12.0K

293.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,018 €1,805

$724 R 12.1K

178.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,836 €7,007

$771 R 12.8K

916.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,701 €4,204

$671 R 11.2K

600.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,687 €1,508

$3,243 R 54.0K

-47.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.82

11.94

-68.01%

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

Last update for Lisbon: November 1, 2026

Last update for Bhisho: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.8%

Bhisho

$355 31.1% 70.1% $833

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$275 12.5%

Bhisho

$196 17.1% 28.7% $79

Eating Out

Lisbon

$245 11.1%

Bhisho

$157 13.7% 36% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$207 9.4%

Bhisho

$205 17.9% 1.2% $2.4

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.6%

Bhisho

$143 12.5% 14.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$64 2.9%

Bhisho

$53 4.7% 16.8% $11

Getting Around

Lisbon

$60 2.7%

Bhisho

$34 3% 43% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,641 in Lisbon and $398 in Bhisho. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bhisho pays 92% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61 in Lisbon vs $43 in Bhisho for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $196 per month, with Bhisho cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇿🇦 Bhisho

🕒 Local time

21:22 9:22 PM

23:22 11:22 PM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

137,287

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

South African Rand ZAR R

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 ZAR = 6 USD

100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZAR, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 0.894 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

South African Rand exchange rates as of November 3, 2026: 1 USD = 16.66 ZAR (100 ZAR = 6 USD). 1 EUR = 18.64 ZAR (100 ZAR = 5.37 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Bhisho 8,810 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Bhisho

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 48% 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, salaries run 48% lower in Lisbon. 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: $1,641 in Lisbon versus $398 in Bhisho. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $674 in Lisbon versus $177 in Bhisho. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 40% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Bhisho is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Bhisho gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.