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: $2,217 in Lisbon versus $1,011 in Grahamstown.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,245 in Lisbon versus $1,563 in Grahamstown.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,272 in Lisbon versus $2,115 in Grahamstown.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 119% more expensive than Grahamstown, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 66% above, Grahamstown is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.78 €13.59

$8.77 R 142

79.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 €53.8

$34.15 R 553

82.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 €9.07

$4.92 R 79.7

114.23%

Cappuccino

$2.77 €2.38

$2.10 R 33.97

31.90%

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

$2.28 €1.97

$1.00 R 16.17

128.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.55 €1.33

$0.78 R 12.59

98.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.55 €3.05

$2.21 R 35.70

60.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.98 €3.43

$2.48 R 40.20

60.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.16 R 18.76

-6.90%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.04 R 16.84

70.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.57 R 25.44

12.74%

Eggs

$3.12 €2.69

$2.42 R 39.25

28.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.34 €11.49

$7.79 R 126

71.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 €6.88

$4.54 R 73.5

75.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.92 €13.70

$6.88 R 111

131.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.67 R 27.10

36.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.42

$1.51 R 24.51

8.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.98 €1.70

$1.53 R 24.81

29.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.45 €2.11

$1.64 R 26.50

49.39%

Potato (1kg)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.37 R 22.10

29.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.23 R 19.89

60.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.70

$1.09 R 17.57

80.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$0.96 R 15.47

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.54 €5.63

$2.82 R 45.65

131.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.75 €4.95

$4.89 R 79.1

17.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 €1.13

$1.33 R 21.49

-0.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 €2.57

$1.72 R 27.89

73.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.34 €2.01

$1.61 R 26.10

45.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.85 €39.48

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.26 €3.66

$1.11 R 17.90

283.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.90 R 14.65

-6.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.86 €16.24

$3.91 R 63.3

382.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.07 €1.78

$1.24 R 20.13

66.94%

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

$35.2K €30.3K

$21.1K R 341.1K

67.26%

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

$38.6K €33.2K

$23.9K R 386.8K

61.55%

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

$151 €130

$116 R 1,880

30.09%

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

$20.91 €18.00

$35.38 R 573

-40.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.54 €34.05

$42.31 R 685

-6.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.39 €41.67

$31.28 R 506

54.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.61 €16.02

Cinema Ticket

$9.04 €7.79

$6.79 R 110

33.14%

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

$610 €525

$200 R 3,231

205.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.0K

$4,321 R 69.9K

276.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 €87.2

$50.2 R 813

101.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.58 €34.94

$31.79 R 515

27.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.0 €80.1

$87.5 R 1,416

6.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 €102

$78.6 R 1,272

50.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,603 €1,380

$369 R 5,970

334.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,239 €1,067

$339 R 5,486

265.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,019 €2,599

$677 R 11.0K

345.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 €1,775

$683 R 11.1K

201.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,981 €6,872

$832 R 13.5K

859.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,533 €3,903

$691 R 11.2K

555.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,628 €1,402

$1,224 R 19.8K

33.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

11.51

-66.90%

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

Last update for Lisbon: June 15, 2026

Last update for Grahamstown: June 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,603 in Lisbon and $369 in Grahamstown. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 33% 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: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $34.00 in Grahamstown for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $179 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 119% 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.

Lisbon pays 33% 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: $1,603 in Lisbon versus $369 in Grahamstown. 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.

All in, you'll spend $2,217 per month in Lisbon versus $1,011 in Grahamstown – a 119% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,011 in Grahamstown versus $2,217 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 $1,011 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 119% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.