Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kiambu Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kiambu

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $489 in Kiambu.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $759 in Kiambu.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $1,030 in Kiambu.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 369% more expensive than in Kiambu, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Kiambu is 63% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$3.12 KES 403

418.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$19.07 KES 2,464

232.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$4.74 KES 613

117.72%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$1.91 KES 246

48.17%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.50 KES 64.3

358.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

$0.36 KES 47.14

338.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.73 KES 224

96.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.34 KES 302

72.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$0.64 KES 82.5

70.31%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$0.54 KES 69.2

224.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$1.66 KES 214

6.02%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$1.29 KES 167

145.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$11.83 KES 1,529

11.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$6.76 KES 874

17.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$4.17 KES 539

272.42%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$3.06 KES 395

-22.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$1.07 KES 139

59.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$0.81 KES 104

148.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$0.59 KES 76.8

311.86%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$0.59 KES 75.7

198.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$0.76 KES 98.1

167.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$0.32 KES 41.55

500.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$0.37 KES 48.13

129.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.01 KES 390

118.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$11.50 KES 1,486

-51.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$2.30 KES 298

-42.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.84 KES 367

4.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$0.56 KES 72.1

307.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$1.53 KES 197

176.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

$0.41 KES 52.6

97.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$2.84 KES 367

549.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.52 KES 196

36.84%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$21.7K KES 2.8M

59.72%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$19.9K KES 2.6M

96.73%

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

$148 €130

$28.46 KES 3,678

420.20%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$7.90 KES 1,021

158.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$28.86 KES 3,730

37.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$11.68 KES 1,509

310.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

$5.93 KES 767

55.48%

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

$616 €540

$201 KES 26.0K

206.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$7,976 KES 1.0M

106.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$6.26 KES 809

1540.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$23.57 KES 3,045

77.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$26.87 KES 3,473

252.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$30.47 KES 3,937

300.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$117 KES 15.1K

1299.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$92.6 KES 12.0K

1230.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$191 KES 24.7K

1519.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$149 KES 19.3K

1261.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,159 KES 149.8K

575.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$123 KES 15.9K

1205.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

-65.36%

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Kiambu: July 11, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $117 in Kiambu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 1205% 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 $19.00 in Kiambu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $183 per month, with Kiambu 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 Kiambu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kiambu is cheaper overall, especially in Groceries & Markets, Eating Out, Clothing & Footwear, Sport & Entertainment, Getting Around. The 369% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 1205% 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 $117 in Kiambu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $616 in Lisbon versus $201 in Kiambu. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kiambu – a meal for two runs $19.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $489 in Kiambu versus $2,291 in Lisbon, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kiambu but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kiambu the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Kiambu 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 Kiambu 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 Kiambu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 369% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.