Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bloemfontein Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bloemfontein

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,291 per month in Lisbon vs $965 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,322 per month in Lisbon vs $1,454 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,354 per month in Lisbon vs $1,942 in Bloemfontein, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 137% more than Bloemfontein, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Lisbon sits 71% above the global median, while Bloemfontein is 28% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$11.13 R 184

45.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$38.06 R 628

66.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$6.75 R 111

52.89%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.82 R 30.03

55.49%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.37 R 22.62

67.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.96 R 15.92

64.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.34 R 38.61

45.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.23 R 36.72

80.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.01 R 16.74

7.92%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.02 R 16.76

71.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.92 R 31.75

-8.33%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.94 R 32.04

63.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$6.82 R 113

93.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.66 R 77.0

71.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$7.02 R 116

121.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.59 R 26.25

49.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.16 R 19.14

47.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.46 R 24.18

37.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.29 R 21.27

88.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.85 R 14.03

107.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.66 R 27.35

22.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.03 R 17.03

86.41%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.92 R 15.18

-7.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$2.55 R 42.06

158.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$4.85 R 80.0

15.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.51 R 24.86

-11.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.51 R 24.84

96.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.79 R 13.06

188.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.10 R 18.21

284.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.67 R 11.02

20.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$4.08 R 67.3

351.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.29 R 21.28

61.24%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$22.5K R 371.4K

54.06%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$24.9K R 410.2K

57.55%

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

$148 €130

$74.1 R 1,223

99.77%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$30.13 R 497

-32.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$35.13 R 580

12.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$29.64 R 489

61.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$5.50 R 90.8

67.64%

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

$616 €540

$128 R 2,111

381.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,373 R 72.2K

276.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$55.3 R 912

85.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$31.00 R 512

34.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$128 R 2,115

-26.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$91.1 R 1,503

34.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$292 R 4,822

458.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$297 R 4,907

314.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$475 R 7,842

552.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$502 R 8,279

304.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$484 R 7,991

1517.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$637 R 10.5K

589.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,329 R 21.9K

20.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.47

-66.78%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Bloemfontein: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,633 in Lisbon versus $292 in Bloemfontein. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 21% higher in Lisbon, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon versus $38.00 in Bloemfontein. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $267 vs $169 – making Bloemfontein the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Bloemfontein: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 137% more than Bloemfontein, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,437 per month in Lisbon and $1,448 in Bloemfontein. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Bloemfontein, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon and $38.00 in Bloemfontein. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 58% more in Lisbon, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Bloemfontein, where all-in costs run around $965, than in Lisbon at $2,291. In Bloemfontein it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Bloemfontein costs $965 versus $2,291 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Bloemfontein. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Lisbon makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.