Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Busia

For one person, living is cheaper in Busia: $70.2 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $25,600 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

$2,202

/mo nomad

Busia

🇺🇬 Uganda

$70.2

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Busia

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $70.2 in Busia.

Lisbon $2,202
Busia $70.2

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $116 in Busia.

Lisbon $3,274
Busia $116

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $161 in Busia.

Lisbon $4,346
Busia $161

Living in Lisbon is roughly 3038% more expensive than in Busia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Busia is 95% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

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

$2.27 €2.02

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

$0.28 UGX 1,141

317.86%

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

$1.22 UGX 5,009

52.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

$1.48 UGX 6,071

174.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

$3.55 UGX 14.6K

396.90%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

$2.44 UGX 10.0K

-7.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

$0.71 UGX 2,918

260.56%

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

$1.46 UGX 6,024

34.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

$0.23 UGX 943

234.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

$1.09 UGX 4,489

515.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$4.95 UGX 20.4K

14.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

$0.98 UGX 4,046

39.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

$1.19 UGX 4,894

77.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

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

$33.8K €30.0K

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

$38.3K €34.0K

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

$164 €146

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

$18.48 €16.43

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

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

$684 €608

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

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 19, 2026

Last update for Busia: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Busia

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Busia

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Busia

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Busia

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Busia

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Busia

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Busia

–

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇺🇬 Busia

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

19:56 7:56 PM

2 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

64,900

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Ugandan Shilling UGX Sh

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD

10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

UGX, 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).

Ugandan Shilling exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4,113 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.43 USD). 1 EUR = 4,624 UGX (10,000 UGX = 2.16 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Busia 6,110 km ≈ 8 h nonstop flight

From you

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Busia

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 Busia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Busia wins on cost – living expenses run 3038% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Busia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,302 in Lisbon and $105 in Busia 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 289% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $70.2 in Busia – a 3038% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $70.2 in Busia versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Busia but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Busia the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Busia delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $70.2 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Busia hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Busia 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 Busia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3038% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.