Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Howick Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Howick

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,268 in Lisbon versus $1,096 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,348 in Lisbon versus $1,704 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,429 in Lisbon versus $2,312 in Howick.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 107% more expensive than in Howick, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 64% above, Howick is 21% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.55 €15.09

$7.61 R 122

130.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.5 €55.5

$39.44 R 631

63.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.65 €10.01

$5.68 R 90.8

105.11%

Cappuccino

$3.26 €2.80

$2.85 R 45.55

14.39%

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

$2.49 €2.14

$1.13 R 18.10

120.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 €1.44

$0.95 R 15.15

75.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.47 €2.99

$2.57 R 41.15

35.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 €3.07

$2.60 R 41.65

37.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 €1.02

$1.25 R 20.06

-5.60%

White Bread (500g)

$1.95 €1.67

$1.07 R 17.12

82.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 €1.34

$1.56 R 25.02

Eggs

$4.01 €3.45

$2.46 R 39.39

63.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.27 €11.41

$8.59 R 137

54.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.42 €7.24

$5.35 R 85.6

57.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.23 €15.68

$7.24 R 116

151.80%

Apples (1kg)

$2.32 €2.00

$2.00 R 32.05

16.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 €1.49

$1.99 R 31.77

-13.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.93 €1.66

$2.05 R 32.80

-5.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.64 €2.27

$1.72 R 27.47

53.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.90 €1.63

$1.60 R 25.53

18.75%

Onion (1kg)

$2.11 €1.82

$1.46 R 23.29

44.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$1.26 R 20.15

14.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.80 €0.69

$1.24 R 19.83

-35.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.01 €6.03

$3.82 R 61.2

83.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.92 €5.09

$5.01 R 80.2

18.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 €1.17

$1.52 R 24.37

-10.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.15 €1.85

$1.98 R 31.76

8.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 €2.05

$1.65 R 26.43

44.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.22 €39.74

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.60

$0.49 R 7.88

755.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.10 €0.94

$0.77 R 12.26

42.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.26 €14.84

$7.97 R 128

116.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.25 €1.93

$1.39 R 22.22

61.87%

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

$34.5K €29.6K

$36.6K R 585.1K

-5.74%

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

$41.6K €35.8K

$32.8K R 524.7K

26.91%

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

$171 €147

$143 R 2,293

19.27%

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

$19.01 €16.34

$15.71 R 251

21.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.28 €29.48

$40.22 R 644

-14.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.65 €42.69

$30.36 R 486

63.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.51 €16.77

Cinema Ticket

$10.10 €8.68

$7.10 R 114

42.25%

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

$699 €601

$325 R 5,202

115.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K €15.3K

$7,921 R 126.7K

124.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €89.9

$56.3 R 901

85.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.97 €41.24

$30.93 R 495

55.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 €87.6

$101 R 1,610

1.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 €110

$89.5 R 1,432

43.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,661 €1,428

$387 R 6,194

329.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,228 €1,056

$391 R 6,249

214.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,915 €2,506

$832 R 13.3K

250.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,023 €1,740

$750 R 12.0K

169.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,129 €6,989

$1,017 R 16.3K

699.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,635 €3,985

$667 R 10.7K

594.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,619 €1,392

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

11.81

-67.99%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 5, 2026

Last update for Howick: September 7, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,661 in Lisbon and $387 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $64.0 in Lisbon vs $39.00 in Howick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $281 vs $202 per month, with Howick 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 Howick: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Howick is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 107% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,402 in Lisbon and $1,644 in Howick to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,661 in Lisbon versus $387 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $699 in Lisbon versus $325 in Howick. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Howick – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $64.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,096 in Howick versus $2,268 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Howick but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Howick the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Howick 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 Howick 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 Howick gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.