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 $2,258 per month in Lisbon vs $1,280 in Cape Town, rent included.

A couple spends around $3,328 per month in Lisbon vs $2,017 in Cape Town, rent included.

A family of three spends $4,397 per month in Lisbon vs $2,755 in Cape Town, rent included.

Lisbon costs about 76% more than Cape Town, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Lisbon sits 68% above the global median, while Cape Town is 5% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.82 €13.43

$11.06 R 181

43.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.4 €54.7

$45.39 R 743

41.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 €8.80

$5.09 R 83.2

103.73%

Cappuccino

$2.89 €2.46

$2.08 R 34.00

38.94%

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

$2.23 €1.90

$1.16 R 19.04

92.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.31

$0.89 R 14.60

74.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.38 €2.87

$2.84 R 46.44

19.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 €3.31

$2.45 R 40.05

59.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 €0.95

$1.10 R 17.94

1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.80 €1.53

$1.10 R 17.92

63.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.75 €1.48

$1.83 R 29.96

-4.37%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.69

$2.50 R 40.92

26.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.50 €11.46

$8.65 R 141

56.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.79 €6.61

$5.06 R 82.8

53.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.65 €13.29

$7.58 R 124

106.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.94

$1.57 R 25.70

45.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.46

$1.41 R 23.13

21.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.64

$1.50 R 24.60

28.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.52 €2.14

$1.53 R 25.04

64.71%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.52

$1.09 R 17.75

64.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.05 €1.74

$1.18 R 19.34

73.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 €1.64

$1.06 R 17.34

83.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.99 R 16.15

-18.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.65 €5.65

$3.11 R 50.8

113.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.79 €4.91

$6.36 R 104

-8.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.13

$1.37 R 22.39

-2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 €2.47

$1.75 R 28.70

66.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 €1.99

$0.92 R 14.99

155.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.70 €38.80

$48.28 R 790

-5.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.20 €3.57

$1.38 R 22.53

204.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.69

$0.93 R 15.22

-12.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.70 €15.88

$4.37 R 71.4

327.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.78

$1.20 R 19.64

74.17%

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

$34.6K €29.4K

$21.6K R 353.2K

60.31%

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

$39.7K €33.7K

$24.0K R 392.7K

65.19%

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

$146 €124

$101 R 1,660

43.75%

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

$20.84 €17.69

$32.97 R 539

-36.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.78 €33.77

$40.85 R 668

-2.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.58 €41.25

$42.59 R 697

14.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.85 €16.00

$7.89 R 129

138.91%

Cinema Ticket

$9.07 €7.70

$6.62 R 108

37.01%

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

$618 €525

$213 R 3,482

190.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K €13.7K

$5,331 R 87.2K

203.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €88.8

$54.6 R 894

91.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.54 €34.42

$33.27 R 544

21.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.8 €79.6

$114 R 1,873

-18.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 €104

$84.0 R 1,374

45.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 €1,362

$767 R 12.5K

109.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 €1,070

$525 R 8,583

140.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,065 €2,602

$1,440 R 23.6K

112.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,008 €1,705

$1,008 R 16.5K

99.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,702 €6,539

$2,240 R 36.7K

243.79%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,367 €3,707

$1,451 R 23.7K

200.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,638 €1,391

$1,707 R 27.9K

-4.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.77

-67.63%

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

Last update for Lisbon: April 13, 2026

Last update for Cape Town: April 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,604 in Lisbon versus $767 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 $64 in Lisbon versus $45 in Cape Town. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $268 vs $188 – 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 76% more than Cape Town, with the gap driven mainly by Groceries & Markets. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,387 per month in Lisbon and $1,919 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 $2,258 in Lisbon and $1,280 in Cape Town. The difference isn't just one category – it shows up across housing, food, transport, and services.

Public transport costs about 6% less in Cape Town. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Cape Town, where all-in costs run around $1,280, than in Lisbon at $2,258. 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 $1,280 versus $2,258 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.