Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Boksburg Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Boksburg

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,045 in Boksburg.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,671 in Boksburg.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $2,296 in Boksburg.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 119% more expensive than in Boksburg, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Boksburg is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$11.15 R 184

45.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$42.75 R 706

48.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$4.74 R 78.3

117.72%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.17 R 35.74

30.41%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$1.03 R 17.00

122.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.77 R 12.66

105.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.27 R 37.39

49.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.82 R 46.49

42.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.19 R 19.71

-8.40%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.03 R 16.97

69.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.58 R 26.14

11.39%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.54 R 41.87

24.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$7.90 R 130

66.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.68 R 77.3

70.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$6.53 R 108

137.83%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.70 R 28.05

39.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.52 R 25.14

12.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.61 R 26.63

24.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.61 R 26.59

50.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.50 R 24.81

17.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.44 R 23.76

40.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.09 R 18.00

76.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.17 R 19.27

-27.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.03 R 50.1

117.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$6.20 R 102

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.31 R 21.60

1.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.78 R 29.32

66.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.61 R 26.64

41.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.09 R 17.98

288.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.96 R 15.91

-15.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$3.06 R 50.5

502.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.26 R 20.76

65.08%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$19.2K R 316.3K

80.89%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$23.6K R 388.7K

66.24%

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

$148 €130

$124 R 2,052

19.05%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$40.35 R 666

-49.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$42.65 R 704

-7.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$28.01 R 462

71.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$6.83 R 113

172.33%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$7.70 R 127

19.74%

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

$616 €540

$195 R 3,211

216.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,968 R 82.0K

230.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$50.9 R 840

101.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$32.01 R 528

30.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$89.6 R 1,478

5.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$80.0 R 1,320

52.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$300 R 4,957

443.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$332 R 5,485

270.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$625 R 10.3K

395.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$720 R 11.9K

182.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$890 R 14.7K

80.64%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Boksburg: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $300 in Boksburg. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 81% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $43.00 in Boksburg for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $186 per month, with Boksburg 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 Boksburg: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Boksburg differ by about 119% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,045 including rent). Boksburg is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 81% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $300 in Boksburg. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 44% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $1,045 in Boksburg – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,045 in Boksburg versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boksburg but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Boksburg 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 Boksburg 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 Boksburg gentler on the wallet – expenses run 119% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.