Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Brakpan Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Brakpan

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,227 in Lisbon versus $915 in Brakpan.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,305 in Lisbon versus $1,453 in Brakpan.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,384 in Lisbon versus $1,990 in Brakpan.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 143% more expensive than Brakpan, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Brakpan is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.17 €13.84

$8.79 R 147

83.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.6 €55.3

$33.71 R 565

91.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.88

$4.89 R 82.0

112.27%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.37

$2.04 R 34.16

35.78%

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

$2.25 €1.92

$0.99 R 16.62

127.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.77 R 12.94

103.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €2.99

$2.19 R 36.65

59.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.00 €3.43

$2.47 R 41.48

61.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.02 R 17.15

5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.02 R 17.04

70.59%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.74 €1.49

$1.13 R 18.91

53.98%

Eggs

$3.18 €2.72

$2.11 R 35.33

50.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.43 €11.50

$9.55 R 160

40.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.84

$4.06 R 68.2

96.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.09 €13.77

$6.26 R 105

157.03%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.15 R 19.36

98.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 €1.48

$1.27 R 21.24

35.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.66

$1.15 R 19.26

68.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.54 €2.18

$1.29 R 21.64

96.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.83 €1.57

$1.06 R 17.83

72.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 €1.75

$1.19 R 20.00

71.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 €1.69

$0.94 R 15.82

110.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.93 R 15.61

-8.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.85 €5.87

$2.93 R 49.09

133.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.78 €4.94

$4.76 R 79.9

21.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$0.96 R 16.02

42.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.90 €2.48

$1.23 R 20.60

135.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.95

$1.67 R 28.08

36.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.84 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.49

$1.10 R 18.40

270.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$0.96 R 16.08

-14.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.27 €15.64

$3.95 R 66.3

362.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.01 €1.72

$1.24 R 20.87

62.10%

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

$35.3K €30.2K

$21.1K R 353.5K

67.32%

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

$38.5K €32.9K

$23.6K R 396.1K

62.94%

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

$145 €124

$119 R 1,991

22.45%

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

$20.96 €17.94

$34.60 R 580

-39.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.05 €34.29

$42.52 R 713

-5.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.79 €41.76

$31.22 R 524

56.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.69 €16.00

Cinema Ticket

$9.06 €7.76

$6.73 R 113

34.62%

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

$607 €519

$195 R 3,263

211.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$4,371 R 73.3K

273.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.6

$50.2 R 842

108.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.95 €35.06

$31.73 R 532

29.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.6 €80.1

$87.9 R 1,474

6.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €101

$78.4 R 1,315

51.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,373

$359 R 6,024

346.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,236 €1,058

$257 R 4,312

380.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,046 €2,607

$458 R 7,683

564.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 €1,761

$541 R 9,070

280.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,709 €6,599

$755 R 12.7K

921.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,266 €3,652

$778 R 13.1K

448.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,584 €1,356

$873 R 14.6K

81.50%

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: April 26, 2026

Last update for Brakpan: April 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Lisbon and $359 in Brakpan. 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Brakpan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $271 vs $163 per month, with Brakpan 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 Brakpan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brakpan wins on cost – living expenses run 143% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brakpan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Lisbon pays 81% more on average, 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: $1,604 in Lisbon versus $359 in Brakpan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $607 in Lisbon versus $195 in Brakpan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Brakpan – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $915 in Brakpan versus $2,227 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Brakpan but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Brakpan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Brakpan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $915 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brakpan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Brakpan 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 Brakpan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 143% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.