Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Grahamstown Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Grahamstown

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,294 in Lisbon versus $1,155 in Grahamstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,299 in Lisbon versus $1,795 in Grahamstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,305 in Lisbon versus $2,435 in Grahamstown.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 99% more expensive than in Grahamstown, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 70% above, Grahamstown is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 €15.19

$11.18 R 186

52.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.6 €56.5

$42.90 R 714

48.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 €9.91

$5.85 R 97.5

90.60%

Cappuccino

$3.14 €2.79

$2.11 R 35.08

48.82%

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

$2.41 €2.14

$1.05 R 17.46

129.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.56

$0.78 R 13.04

125.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.34 €2.97

$2.72 R 45.36

22.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 €3.00

$3.28 R 54.5

3.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.05

$1.15 R 19.09

2.61%

White Bread (500g)

$1.93 €1.72

$1.07 R 17.80

80.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.39

$1.49 R 24.75

4.70%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.53

$2.85 R 47.54

39.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 €11.71

$8.90 R 148

48.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €7.02

$5.33 R 88.8

48.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.72 €15.74

$8.94 R 149

98.21%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €2.05

$2.14 R 35.71

7.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.56 R 26.04

14.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.72 R 28.63

9.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.62 €2.33

$1.85 R 30.73

41.62%

Potato (1kg)

$1.81 €1.61

$1.71 R 28.54

5.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.06 €1.83

$1.47 R 24.44

40.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.43 €1.27

$1.27 R 21.20

12.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.70

$1.03 R 17.16

-23.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.93 €6.16

$3.37 R 56.1

105.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.64 €5.01

$5.06 R 84.2

11.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.34 €1.19

$1.23 R 20.52

8.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 €1.86

$1.87 R 31.07

12.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.10

$1.57 R 26.13

50.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.07 €40.04

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 €3.60

$0.65 R 10.81

524.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.08 €0.96

$0.50 R 8.38

116.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.83 €14.95

$8.44 R 140

99.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €2.02

$1.43 R 23.82

58.74%

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

$33.6K €29.9K

$36.7K R 611.2K

-8.40%

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

$40.3K €35.8K

$33.9K R 564.7K

18.90%

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

$168 €149

$124 R 2,069

34.99%

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

$18.60 €16.53

$35.82 R 596

-48.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.48 €28.86

$46.54 R 775

-30.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.68 €43.24

$32.84 R 547

48.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.14 €17.00

$11.50 R 191

66.43%

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.45

$10.63 R 177

-10.44%

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

$689 €612

$184 R 3,065

274.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.6K

$5,014 R 83.5K

249.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €91.9

$72.3 R 1,203

43.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.32 €42.03

$38.82 R 646

21.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 €87.7

$114 R 1,894

-13.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 €107

$96.9 R 1,614

24.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,625 €1,443

$399 R 6,651

306.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,208 €1,073

$369 R 6,143

227.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,824 €2,508

$764 R 12.7K

269.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,994 €1,771

$766 R 12.8K

160.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,944 €7,057

$864 R 14.4K

819.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,501 €3,999

$644 R 10.7K

599.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,604 €1,425

$1,235 R 20.6K

29.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.94

-68.34%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 28, 2026

Last update for Grahamstown: September 28, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,625 in Lisbon and $399 in Grahamstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 30% 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 $43.00 in Grahamstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $201 per month, with Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Grahamstown wins on cost – living expenses run 99% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Grahamstown the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $1,625 in Lisbon versus $399 in Grahamstown. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 37% higher in Lisbon. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,294 per month in Lisbon versus $1,155 in Grahamstown – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,155 in Grahamstown versus $2,294 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Grahamstown but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Grahamstown the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Grahamstown delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,155 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Grahamstown hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Grahamstown 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 Grahamstown gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.