Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Bunia

For one person, living is cheaper in Bunia: $401 a month against $2,223 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,223

/mo nomad

Bunia

🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo

$401

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Bunia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,223 in Lisbon versus $401 in Bunia.

Lisbon $2,223
Bunia $401

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,271 in Lisbon versus $653 in Bunia.

Lisbon $3,271
Bunia $653

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,319 in Lisbon versus $905 in Bunia.

Lisbon $4,319
Bunia $905

Living in Lisbon is roughly 455% more expensive than in Bunia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Bunia is 70% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.50 €14.67

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.3 €54.5

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.03

Cappuccino

$3.06 €2.72

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

$2.26 €2.01

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 €1.54

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.39 €3.02

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.40 €3.02

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €1.00

$1.01 CDF 2,289

10.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.65

$1.98 CDF 4,480

-6.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.53 €1.36

$2.05 CDF 4,638

-25.37%

Eggs

$3.96 €3.53

$3.57 CDF 8,083

10.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.76 €11.35

$2.98 CDF 6,743

328.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.02

$5.10 CDF 11.6K

54.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.97 €15.09

$4.94 CDF 11.2K

243.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.27 €2.02

$4.96 CDF 11.2K

-54.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

$1.46 CDF 3,312

19.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

$2.44 CDF 5,522

-24.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.57 €2.28

$2.03 CDF 4,590

26.60%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 €1.65

$3.05 CDF 6,904

-39.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$3.07 CDF 6,960

-34.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.28

$4.02 CDF 9,099

-64.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.73

$0.86 CDF 1,950

-4.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.56 €5.83

$6.08 CDF 13.8K

7.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.62 €5.00

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.28 €1.14

$2.97 CDF 6,721

-56.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 €1.84

$4.89 CDF 11.1K

-57.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €2.09

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.18 €39.30

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.99 €3.55

$15.27 CDF 34.6K

-73.87%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.09 €0.97

$5.06 CDF 11.5K

-78.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.64 €14.81

$15.15 CDF 34.3K

9.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.95 CDF 4,411

16.92%

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

$33.7K €30.0K

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

$39.3K €35.0K

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

$167 €149

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

$18.80 €16.72

$14.73 CDF 33.4K

27.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.09 €29.43

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.01 €40.93

$9.95 CDF 22.5K

362.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.19 €17.07

$15.12 CDF 34.3K

26.92%

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 €8.75

$12.97 CDF 29.4K

-24.13%

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

$677 €602

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.9K €15.1K

$3,518 CDF 8.0M

380.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €90.1

$29.63 CDF 67.1K

241.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 €40.70

$45.57 CDF 103.2K

0.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100.0 €88.9

$55.4 CDF 125.4K

80.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €109

$65.6 CDF 148.5K

87.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,614 €1,436

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,065

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 €2,545

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,990 €1,770

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,577 €6,740

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,307 €3,831

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,588 €1,412

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 11, 2026

Last update for Bunia: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.9%

Bunia

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$269 12.1%

Bunia

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$242 10.9%

Bunia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$219 9.9%

Bunia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$166 7.5%

Bunia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$66 3%

Bunia

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.8%

Bunia

–

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇨🇩 Bunia

🕒 Local time

03:03 3:03 AM

04:03 4:03 AM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

366,126

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Congolese Franc CDF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD

10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CDF, 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).

Congolese Franc exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 2,265 CDF (10,000 CDF = 4.41 USD). 1 EUR = 2,547 CDF (10,000 CDF = 3.93 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

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Lisbon Bunia 5,750 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

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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 Bunia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Bunia differ by about 455% in total monthly costs ($2,223 vs $401 including rent). Bunia is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,335 in Lisbon and $601 in Bunia to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Supermarket bills run roughly 22% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,223 per month in Lisbon versus $401 in Bunia – a 455% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $401 in Bunia versus $2,223 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bunia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Bunia 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 Bunia 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 Bunia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 455% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.