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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $498 in Embu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $791 in Embu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,084 in Embu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 360% more expensive than in Embu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Embu is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$5.29 KES 684

206.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$31.17 KES 4,027

103.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.31 KES 686

94.35%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.26 KES 292

25.22%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.33 KES 43.05

593.94%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.22 KES 28.39

618.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.27 KES 293

49.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.96 KES 382

36.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$0.51 KES 66.5

113.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.52 KES 67.0

236.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.95 KES 122

85.26%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.71 KES 221

85.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$3.83 KES 495

244.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$3.25 KES 420

145.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$4.07 KES 526

281.57%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.03 KES 391

-21.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.04 KES 134

64.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$2.07 KES 268

-2.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.40 KES 51.8

507.50%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.68 KES 87.2

158.82%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.90 KES 117

125.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.66 KES 84.9

190.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.53 KES 68.4

60.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.12 KES 403

110.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$11.67 KES 1,508

-52.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.28 KES 295

-41.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.78 KES 360

6.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.19 KES 154

91.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.52 KES 196

178.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$1.57 KES 203

-48.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$2.97 KES 383

520.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.44 KES 186

44.44%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$21.8K KES 2.8M

59.12%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$12.3K KES 1.6M

219.43%

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

$148 €130

$34.82 KES 4,499

325.19%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$16.52 KES 2,134

23.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$38.04 KES 4,916

4.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$17.29 KES 2,234

177.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$4.20 KES 543

119.52%

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

$616 €540

$199 KES 25.8K

209.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$8,200 KES 1.1M

100.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$9.43 KES 1,219

989.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$24.50 KES 3,166

70.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$65.8 KES 8,501

44.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$15.59 KES 2,015

682.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$77.8 KES 10.1K

1997.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$55.1 KES 7,116

2137.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$93.5 KES 12.1K

2072.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$268 KES 34.6K

500.25%

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: July 14, 2026

Last update for Embu: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $77.8 in Embu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 500% 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 $267 vs $146 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 360% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $498 including rent). Embu is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 500% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $77.8 in Embu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $199 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 $498 in Embu versus $2,291 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 360% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.