Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bulawayo

For one person, living is cheaper in Bulawayo: $753 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $17,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
Learn more

Lisbon Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Bulawayo
Learn more

Bulawayo Living Index

Jump to prices

Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Bulawayo

🇿🇼 Zimbabwe

$753

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Bulawayo

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 Bulawayo actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,202 per month in Lisbon vs $753 in Bulawayo, rent included.

Lisbon $2,202
Bulawayo $753

A couple spends around $3,274 per month in Lisbon vs $1,197 in Bulawayo, rent included.

Lisbon $3,274
Bulawayo $1,197

A family of three spends $4,346 per month in Lisbon vs $1,641 in Bulawayo, rent included.

Lisbon $4,346
Bulawayo $1,641

Lisbon costs about 192% more than Bulawayo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Lisbon sits 62% above the global median, while Bulawayo is 44% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$4.38 ZWL 116

289.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$29.55 ZWL 786

110.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$4.92 ZWL 131

123.98%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$2.07 ZWL 55.0

50.72%

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

$2.27 €2.02

$0.49 ZWL 13.03

363.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.37 ZWL 9.80

370.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

$1.52 ZWL 40.45

125.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

$2.05 ZWL 54.7

82.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$1.68 ZWL 44.60

-30.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.02 ZWL 27.25

82.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

$1.55 ZWL 41.16

-0.65%

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$1.92 ZWL 51.0

111.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

$9.62 ZWL 256

34.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

$3.82 ZWL 102

106.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$4.43 ZWL 118

298.19%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$1.87 ZWL 49.79

20.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.54 ZWL 41.00

13.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

$2.48 ZWL 66.1

-23.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$1.05 ZWL 27.97

143.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$1.28 ZWL 33.99

44.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.43 ZWL 38.15

37.76%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

$1.14 ZWL 30.26

27.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.74 ZWL 19.73

4.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$1.54 ZWL 41.08

335.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$4.93 ZWL 131

15.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$1.40 ZWL 37.30

-2.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.92 ZWL 51.0

9.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

$0.73 ZWL 19.55

217.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

$30.52 ZWL 812

45.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

$2.97 ZWL 79.1

33.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$1.97 ZWL 52.5

-46.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

$4.86 ZWL 129

252.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$1.67 ZWL 44.33

31.14%

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

$33.8K €30.0K

$25.0K ZWL 666.5K

34.88%

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

$38.3K €34.0K

$25.2K ZWL 670.4K

51.87%

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

$164 €146

$96.0 ZWL 2,553

70.72%

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

$18.48 €16.43

$17.53 ZWL 467

5.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

$107 ZWL 2,854

-69.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

$31.10 ZWL 828

47.49%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

$19.78 ZWL 526

-5.56%

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

$10.18 ZWL 271

-4.22%

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

$684 €608

$229 ZWL 6,086

199.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

$3,517 ZWL 93.6K

401.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

$21.08 ZWL 561

392.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

$11.71 ZWL 311

294.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

$45.35 ZWL 1,207

119.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

$59.4 ZWL 1,580

109.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

$176 ZWL 4,689

801.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

$106 ZWL 2,828

1000.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

$415 ZWL 11.0K

586.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

$315 ZWL 8,376

533.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

$2,134 ZWL 56.8K

265.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

$2,002 ZWL 53.3K

120.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

$302 ZWL 8,035

429.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

-74.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Bulawayo: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Bulawayo

$106 14.1% 90.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Bulawayo

$177 23.5% 35.3% $96

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Bulawayo

$90 11.9% 63.8% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Bulawayo

$221 29.3% 2.5% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Bulawayo

$62 8.2% 63.3% $107

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Bulawayo

$51 6.8% 21.3% $14

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Bulawayo

$46 6.2% 26.4% $17

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,589 in Lisbon versus $176 in Bulawayo. 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 430% 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 $62.0 in Lisbon versus $30.00 in Bulawayo. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $273 vs $177 – making Bulawayo the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇿🇼 Bulawayo

🕒 Local time

17:05 5:05 PM

18:05 6:05 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

653,337

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Zimbabwean Dollar ZWL $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 ZWL = 3.76 USD

100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZWL, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Zimbabwean Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 26.61 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.76 USD). 1 EUR = 29.92 ZWL (100 ZWL = 3.34 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lisbon Bulawayo 7,630 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Lisbon
Bulawayo

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 Bulawayo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Lisbon is pricier by about 192%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,302 per month in Lisbon and $1,130 in Bulawayo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,202 in Lisbon and $753 in Bulawayo. That's a gap of about 192%.

Public transport costs about 46% less in Bulawayo. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Bulawayo, where all-in costs run around $753, than in Lisbon at $2,202. In Bulawayo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Bulawayo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

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 Bulawayo. 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.