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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $827 in Gaborone.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,299 in Gaborone.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,771 in Gaborone.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 177% more expensive than in Gaborone, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Gaborone is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$7.45 P 98.6

117.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$30.07 P 398

110.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$5.85 P 77.4

76.41%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$2.17 P 28.74

30.41%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.83 P 11.03

175.90%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.48 P 6.31

229.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$2.23 P 29.50

52.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.95 P 39.03

36.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.39 P 18.44

-21.58%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.87 P 11.56

101.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.74 P 23.07

1.15%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.30 P 30.41

37.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$7.33 P 97.1

79.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$4.99 P 66.0

59.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$5.45 P 72.2

184.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.84 P 24.33

28.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.38 P 18.33

23.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.92 P 25.37

4.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.63 P 21.52

49.08%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.43 P 18.89

23.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.22 P 16.14

66.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.13 P 14.90

69.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.86 P 11.33

-1.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.60 P 47.71

82.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$4.30 P 56.9

29.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.68 P 22.30

-20.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.15 P 28.53

38.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.50 P 6.62

356.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

$30.61 P 405

49.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$0.58 P 7.63

629.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$2.72 P 35.96

-70.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$2.97 P 39.28

520.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.14 P 15.08

82.46%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$22.4K P 296.9K

54.61%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$16.8K P 222.3K

133.19%

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

$148 €130

$69.9 P 926

111.77%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$26.69 P 353

-23.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$79.7 P 1,055

-50.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$33.23 P 440

44.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

$15.08 P 200

23.34%

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$6.77 P 89.7

36.19%

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

$616 €540

$184 P 2,441

234.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$3,829 P 50.7K

329.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$42.82 P 567

139.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$23.93 P 317

74.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$73.5 P 973

28.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$97.9 P 1,296

24.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$245 P 3,238

567.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$146 P 1,935

743.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$532 P 7,045

482.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$335 P 4,438

505.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$2,030 P 26.9K

285.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$1,258 P 16.7K

248.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$452 P 5,983

255.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

9.12

-58.22%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Gaborone: July 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $245 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: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $30.00 in Gaborone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $178 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 177% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $245 in Gaborone. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 50% 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 $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $827 in Gaborone versus $2,291 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 177% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.