Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cape Town Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Cape Town

Monthly Cost of Living

A single person spends $2,316 per month in Lisbon vs $1,640 in Cape Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,361 per month in Lisbon vs $2,528 in Cape Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,405 per month in Lisbon vs $3,415 in Cape Town, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 41% more than Cape Town, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both Lisbon and Cape Town sit above the global median – Lisbon by 69%, Cape Town by 19%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.89

$12.20 R 195

41.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.5

$48.92 R 781

29.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.81

$5.65 R 90.2

101.59%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.75

$2.64 R 42.06

20.83%

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

$2.45 €2.11

$1.31 R 20.98

87.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$1.06 R 16.87

66.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$3.17 R 50.6

13.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$3.80 R 60.6

-10.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.38 R 22.00

-10.14%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.23 R 19.70

60.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$2.18 R 34.76

-30.28%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.48

$3.04 R 48.53

32.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.65

$9.18 R 146

47.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.22

$6.89 R 110

21.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.71

$9.32 R 149

95.82%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$1.89 R 30.19

21.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.03 R 32.45

-14.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.67 R 26.60

11.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.22 R 35.39

18.47%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$1.53 R 24.39

25.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$1.62 R 25.79

29.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.33 R 21.28

8.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.18 R 18.78

-28.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.84

$3.59 R 57.3

88.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.92

$6.25 R 99.7

-8.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.41 R 22.42

-2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.32 R 36.94

-4.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.07

$1.45 R 23.15

65.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.27

$61.5 R 982

-23.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$0.65 R 10.29

541.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.62 R 25.81

-29.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.22

$5.06 R 80.8

249.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.57 R 25.05

47.77%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$37.1K R 591.8K

-4.72%

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

$41.4K €35.7K

$33.2K R 529.5K

24.89%

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

$170 €147

$121 R 1,926

41.14%

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

$19.34 €16.65

$30.79 R 491

-37.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.96

$39.59 R 632

-15.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.40

$50.7 R 809

-5.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.13

$11.80 R 188

68.64%

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.54

$9.35 R 149

6.10%

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

$717 €617

$265 R 4,233

170.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$6,560 R 104.7K

166.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$57.6 R 919

81.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.41

$33.12 R 528

41.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €89.0

$121 R 1,928

-14.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$110 R 1,752

12.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,443

$1,035 R 16.5K

61.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,094

$727 R 11.6K

74.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,569

$1,896 R 30.3K

57.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,715

$1,359 R 21.7K

46.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,737

$2,488 R 39.7K

214.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,010

$1,614 R 25.8K

188.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,362

$1,642 R 26.2K

-3.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

11.02

-65.61%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,677 in Lisbon versus $1,035 in Cape Town. 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 4% higher in Cape Town, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $63.0 in Lisbon versus $49.00 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $283 vs $228 – making Cape Town the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

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 Cape Town: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon costs about 41% more than Cape Town, with the gap driven mainly by Eating Out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,474 per month in Lisbon and $2,460 in Cape Town. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cape Town, 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 $2,316 in Lisbon and $1,640 in Cape Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 31% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,640, than in Lisbon at $2,316. In Cape Town it covers expenses comfortably, while in Lisbon it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

For digital nomads, it depends on budget. Cape Town costs $1,640 versus $2,316 in Lisbon. Both have workable remote work infrastructure, but the cost gap matters when income varies month to month.

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 Cape Town. 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.