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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $887 in Howick.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $1,352 in Howick.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,818 in Howick.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 158% more expensive than in Howick, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Howick is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$3.30 R 54.5

390.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$27.64 R 456

129.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$3.40 R 56.1

203.53%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.98 R 32.74

42.93%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.57 R 9.44

301.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.43 R 7.06

267.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.91 R 31.47

78.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.27 R 37.45

77.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$1.03 R 17.00

5.83%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.87 R 14.36

101.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.10 R 18.22

60.00%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.21 R 36.42

43.44%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$5.14 R 84.8

156.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$2.27 R 37.45

251.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$5.03 R 83.0

208.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$1.50 R 24.78

58.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.14 R 18.88

50.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$1.31 R 21.70

53.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$1.09 R 17.99

122.94%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.85 R 14.04

107.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.23 R 20.29

65.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.98 R 16.14

95.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.97 R 15.93

-12.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.13 R 51.6

110.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$4.98 R 82.3

12.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.09 R 17.96

22.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$1.13 R 18.66

162.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.63 R 26.94

39.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.63 R 26.92

159.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.63 R 10.37

28.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$6.62 R 109

178.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.23 R 20.31

69.11%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$14.2K R 234.6K

143.86%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$22.6K R 372.5K

73.48%

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

$148 €130

$145 R 2,400

1.80%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$13.94 R 230

46.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$34.12 R 563

15.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$30.67 R 506

56.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$5.65 R 93.3

63.19%

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

$616 €540

$102 R 1,678

506.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,645 R 76.7K

253.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$41.49 R 685

147.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$14.09 R 233

196.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$84.2 R 1,390

12.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$44.67 R 737

173.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$365 R 6,022

347.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$338 R 5,571

265.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$692 R 11.4K

347.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$697 R 11.5K

191.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$719 R 11.9K

989.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$749 R 12.4K

486.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

12.01

-68.28%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Howick: July 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $365 in Howick. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $28.00 in Howick for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $137 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 158% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,437 in Lisbon and $1,330 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $365 in Howick. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $102 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 $28.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $887 in Howick versus $2,291 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 158% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.