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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $494 in Embu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $793 in Embu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $1,092 in Embu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 348% more expensive than Embu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Embu is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.70

$5.48 KES 709

190.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.8

$31.25 KES 4,046

107.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.05

$5.46 KES 707

92.49%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$2.27 KES 294

26.43%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.33 KES 43.17

578.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.22 KES 28.30

581.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.01

$2.37 KES 307

47.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.96 KES 383

31.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$0.56 KES 72.6

103.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$0.49 KES 63.4

257.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$0.95 KES 124

85.26%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$1.70 KES 219

89.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.62

$3.89 KES 503

246.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$3.26 KES 422

142.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.67

$4.23 KES 547

275.18%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$3.13 KES 405

-26.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$1.09 KES 141

55.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$2.07 KES 268

-2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$0.40 KES 52.3

515.00%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$0.63 KES 81.8

192.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$0.91 KES 118

119.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.65 KES 84.5

196.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$0.52 KES 67.0

51.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.69

$3.11 KES 403

112.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.93

$11.69 KES 1,513

-51.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.18

$2.29 KES 297

-40.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.79 KES 361

6.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$1.15 KES 149

106.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.23

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$1.57 KES 203

173.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

$1.52 KES 197

-46.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.76

$2.92 KES 377

526.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.49 KES 193

38.26%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$21.3K KES 2.8M

60.96%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$12.6K KES 1.6M

212.62%

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

$148 €127

$34.28 KES 4,438

331.36%

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

$20.52 €17.67

$16.91 KES 2,189

21.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.11

$37.94 KES 4,911

4.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.20

$17.66 KES 2,287

170.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.91

$4.31 KES 557

112.99%

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

$614 €529

$201 KES 26.0K

206.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$8,024 KES 1.0M

100.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$9.36 KES 1,212

1018.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.22

$23.63 KES 3,059

77.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.9

$66.0 KES 8,542

42.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$15.35 KES 1,987

679.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,402

$76.2 KES 9,861

2037.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,081

$55.2 KES 7,148

2173.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,609

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,740

$92.6 KES 12.0K

2081.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,716

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,679

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,381

$270 KES 34.9K

494.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

14.84

-74.33%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 1, 2026

Last update for Embu: June 1, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $76.2 in Embu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 494% 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $31.00 in Embu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 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 348% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $494 including rent). Embu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 494% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $76.2 in Embu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $614 in Lisbon versus $201 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 $65.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $494 in Embu versus $2,210 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 348% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.