Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Centurion Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Centurion

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,139 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $1,860 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $2,580 in Centurion.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 94% more expensive than Centurion, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Centurion is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$10.55 R 171

50.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$33.64 R 547

92.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$4.79 R 77.8

119.42%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.03 R 33.03

41.38%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$1.02 R 16.59

119.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

$0.81 R 13.13

85.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$2.22 R 36.14

57.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.48 R 40.32

56.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.19 R 19.34

-4.20%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.06 R 17.19

65.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$1.66 R 26.98

6.02%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.43 R 39.47

32.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$8.14 R 132

65.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$4.84 R 78.7

63.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$6.66 R 108

138.29%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$1.62 R 26.37

42.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.48 R 24.06

14.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.62 R 26.26

24.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$1.64 R 26.71

50.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$1.34 R 21.75

37.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.45 R 23.59

37.93%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$1.09 R 17.79

77.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.07 R 17.36

-26.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$3.06 R 49.69

116.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$6.17 R 100

-7.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.44 R 23.47

-4.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$1.72 R 28.00

72.67%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$2.18 R 35.50

8.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

$91.0 R 1,479

-49.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.13 R 18.39

279.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.07 R 17.31

-23.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$4.04 R 65.7

352.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.31 R 21.25

57.25%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$22.8K R 370.1K

50.51%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$24.3K R 395.1K

61.61%

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

$148 €127

$120 R 1,951

23.15%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$37.25 R 605

-44.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$42.33 R 688

-6.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$41.89 R 681

14.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

$0.93 R 15.13

1934.41%

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

$7.71 R 125

19.07%

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

$614 €528

$209 R 3,392

194.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,282 R 69.6K

274.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$49.86 R 810

109.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$32.17 R 523

30.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$86.5 R 1,406

8.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$88.2 R 1,433

35.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$319 R 5,179

410.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$329 R 5,352

281.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$527 R 8,567

474.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$803 R 13.1K

151.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$522 R 8,489

1393.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$591 R 9,611

622.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$2,129 R 34.6K

-24.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.69

-67.41%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Centurion: May 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $319 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 33% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Centurion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $186 per month, with Centurion cheaper across the board.

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 Centurion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Centurion wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Centurion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Centurion earns 33% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $319 in Centurion. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Centurion runs roughly 100% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $209 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,139 in Centurion versus $2,210 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Centurion but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Centurion the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Centurion delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,139 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Centurion hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Centurion 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 Centurion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 94% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.