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: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,434 in Centurion.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $2,285 in Centurion.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $3,136 in Centurion.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 58% more expensive than in Centurion, driven mainly by Getting Around.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lisbon 64% above, Centurion 4% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.13

$22.24 R 360

-21.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$41.63 R 673

54.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$6.18 R 100.0

88.51%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.73 R 44.19

19.41%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$1.00 R 16.20

149.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.89 R 14.41

87.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.25 R 36.43

54.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.51 R 40.69

42.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.26 R 20.44

-6.35%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$1.29 R 20.87

51.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$2.20 R 35.52

-29.09%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$3.15 R 50.9

27.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.45

$10.29 R 166

28.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$6.88 R 111

22.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$7.25 R 117

151.45%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.88 R 30.35

23.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.85 R 29.89

-6.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.30 R 37.15

-16.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.28

$2.18 R 35.22

21.10%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.65 R 26.77

15.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.95 R 31.48

8.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.40 R 22.57

2.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.52 R 24.60

-47.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.79 R 61.4

84.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$6.37 R 103

-7.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.63 R 26.38

-16.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$2.11 R 34.21

1.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$2.46 R 39.84

-3.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.86

$101 R 1,628

-54.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$1.21 R 19.62

246.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$1.22 R 19.71

-9.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$9.14 R 148

88.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.42 R 22.92

58.45%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$36.6K R 591.6K

-5.75%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$33.6K R 543.4K

23.92%

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

$171 €147

$146 R 2,355

17.41%

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

$19.01 €16.39

$31.61 R 511

-39.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.56

$42.69 R 691

-19.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.81

$45.99 R 744

7.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.82

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$11.11 R 180

-9.09%

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

$699 €603

$319 R 5,164

119.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$4,504 R 72.9K

294.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$60.7 R 982

72.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.36

$45.61 R 738

5.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$122 R 1,979

-16.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$108 R 1,743

19.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,433

$349 R 5,649

375.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$391 R 6,327

214.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,514

$604 R 9,769

382.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,745

$925 R 15.0K

118.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,010

$543 R 8,783

1397.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,997

$638 R 10.3K

626.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$2,456 R 39.7K

-34.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

10.5

-64.00%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Centurion: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $349 in Centurion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Centurion pays 52% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $42.00 in Centurion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $232 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 58% 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, salaries run 52% lower in Centurion. 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $349 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 118% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $319 in Centurion. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $1,434 in Centurion versus $2,268 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 $1,434 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 58% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.