Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Gaborone Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Gaborone

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $861 in Gaborone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,303 in Gaborone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $1,745 in Gaborone.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 163% more expensive than in Gaborone, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Gaborone is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.12

$11.38 P 149

54.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.6

$29.78 P 391

116.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.04

$6.12 P 80.4

90.36%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.81

$2.33 P 30.64

39.91%

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

$2.49 €2.15

$0.78 P 10.27

219.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.45 P 5.86

271.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.06 P 27.11

68.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.08

$2.55 P 33.51

40.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.53 P 20.12

-22.88%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.68

$0.91 P 11.99

114.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.35

$1.85 P 24.28

-15.68%

Eggs

$4.01 €3.46

$2.54 P 33.36

57.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.44

$5.89 P 77.4

125.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.26

$4.75 P 62.4

77.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.72

$5.12 P 67.2

256.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.65 P 21.65

40.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.40 P 18.37

23.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.67

$2.09 P 27.40

-7.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.72 P 22.53

53.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.64

$1.43 P 18.78

32.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.22 P 16.05

72.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.46 P 19.18

-1.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.92 P 12.08

-13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.04

$3.67 P 48.19

91.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.11

$4.38 P 57.5

35.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.18

$1.45 P 19.02

-6.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.76 P 23.16

22.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$0.61 P 8.07

290.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.85

$30.13 P 396

53.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.61

$0.66 P 8.63

534.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.95

$2.59 P 34.02

-57.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.88

$3.03 P 39.76

469.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.94

$1.45 P 19.02

55.17%

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

$34.5K €29.7K

$20.6K P 270.4K

67.44%

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

$41.6K €35.9K

$20.9K P 274.3K

99.34%

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

$171 €147

$61.7 P 810

177.04%

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

$19.01 €16.38

$19.96 P 262

-4.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.55

$41.97 P 551

-18.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.80

$36.10 P 474

37.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.81

$16.99 P 223

14.83%

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.71

$6.50 P 85.4

55.38%

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

$699 €603

$129 P 1,696

441.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$2,565 P 33.7K

592.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.2

$46.58 P 612

124.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.35

$17.63 P 232

172.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.8

$69.1 P 908

47.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €111

$74.0 P 972

73.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,432

$310 P 4,067

436.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,059

$214 P 2,807

474.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,513

$483 P 6,349

503.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,744

$326 P 4,276

521.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €7,007

$2,079 P 27.3K

290.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,996

$1,269 P 16.7K

265.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,396

$455 P 5,980

255.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.67

-67.61%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Gaborone: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $310 in Gaborone. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 256% 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: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in Gaborone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $175 per month, with Gaborone 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 Gaborone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gaborone is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 163% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 256% 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: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $310 in Gaborone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 60% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Gaborone – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $861 in Gaborone versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Gaborone but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Gaborone the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Gaborone is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Lisbon, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Gaborone 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 Gaborone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 163% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.