Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Embu Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Embu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $489 in Embu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $789 in Embu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $1,089 in Embu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 374% more expensive than in Embu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Embu is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$3.93 KES 509

340.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$31.04 KES 4,017

103.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$5.30 KES 686

114.91%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$2.25 KES 292

41.78%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$0.34 KES 43.64

620.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

$0.22 KES 28.31

700.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.38 KES 308

50.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.67 KES 345

26.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$0.55 KES 71.7

125.45%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$0.52 KES 67.6

280.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$0.96 KES 124

58.33%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$1.71 KES 221

136.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$3.78 KES 489

258.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$3.20 KES 414

162.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$4.23 KES 547

331.44%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$3.32 KES 430

-31.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$1.04 KES 135

67.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$1.94 KES 251

-4.12%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$0.37 KES 48.42

610.81%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$0.69 KES 89.4

178.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$0.92 KES 119

127.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.73 KES 94.9

97.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$0.53 KES 68.1

58.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$3.43 KES 443

97.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$11.70 KES 1,513

-51.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$2.25 KES 291

-38.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.83 KES 367

-21.55%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$1.14 KES 147

110.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$1.56 KES 202

167.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

$1.52 KES 196

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$2.86 KES 370

518.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.53 KES 198

51.63%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$20.4K KES 2.6M

72.95%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$12.5K KES 1.6M

231.86%

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

$170 €146

$60.5 KES 7,827

181.54%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$15.08 KES 1,951

28.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$35.70 KES 4,619

-5.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$17.09 KES 2,211

181.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

$4.13 KES 534

140.19%

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

$717 €617

$239 KES 30.9K

200.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$11.7K KES 1.5M

49.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$9.17 KES 1,187

1042.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$25.70 KES 3,324

82.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$64.3 KES 8,313

60.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$15.23 KES 1,970

713.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$77.7 KES 10.1K

2057.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$54.4 KES 7,034

2237.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$93.0 KES 12.0K

2041.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$273 KES 35.3K

480.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

14.71

-74.24%

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Embu: August 31, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $77.7 in Embu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 480% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $31.00 in Embu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $147 per month, with Embu 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 Embu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Embu differ by about 374% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $489 including rent). Embu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 480% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $77.7 in Embu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $717 in Lisbon versus $239 in Embu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Embu – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $489 in Embu versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Embu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Embu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Embu 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 Embu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 374% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.