Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kuruman Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Kuruman

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,263 in Lisbon versus $1,020 in Kuruman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,315 in Lisbon versus $1,579 in Kuruman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,368 in Lisbon versus $2,138 in Kuruman.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 122% more expensive than Kuruman, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Kuruman is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.94 €13.73

$8.42 R 136

89.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.4 €54.6

$33.48 R 541

89.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.38 €8.95

$4.78 R 77.2

117.15%

Cappuccino

$2.79 €2.40

$1.65 R 26.65

69.09%

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

$2.34 €2.01

$1.10 R 17.83

112.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 €1.35

$0.58 R 9.32

170.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.43 €2.95

$2.19 R 35.47

56.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 €3.37

$2.56 R 41.32

52.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.93

$1.11 R 18.01

-2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 €1.52

$1.05 R 16.98

68.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 €1.47

$1.64 R 26.58

4.27%

Eggs

$3.15 €2.71

$2.46 R 39.80

28.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.68 €11.79

$7.78 R 126

75.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.90

$4.61 R 74.6

73.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.52 €13.37

$6.83 R 111

127.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.98

$1.69 R 27.29

35.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 €1.41

$1.52 R 24.61

7.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.94 €1.67

$1.54 R 24.87

25.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.51 €2.17

$1.65 R 26.73

52.12%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.54

$1.37 R 22.22

30.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$1.18 R 19.01

70.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.69

$1.10 R 17.74

79.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.73

$0.92 R 14.84

-8.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.79 €5.85

$2.75 R 44.46

146.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €4.89

$4.38 R 70.9

29.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.39 €1.20

$1.33 R 21.46

4.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 €2.60

$1.71 R 27.68

76.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.95

$1.68 R 27.21

35.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.44 €39.15

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.70

$1.15 R 18.56

273.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.93 R 15.10

-8.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.28 €15.75

$4.01 R 64.8

355.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.99 €1.71

$1.24 R 20.01

60.48%

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

$35.0K €30.2K

$21.1K R 341.5K

65.88%

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

$39.5K €34.1K

$23.9K R 385.6K

65.81%

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

$146 €126

$117 R 1,890

25.07%

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

$20.45 €17.62

$35.56 R 575

-42.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.98 €33.58

$40.86 R 661

-4.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.98 €42.21

$30.69 R 496

59.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.83 €16.22

Cinema Ticket

$9.52 €8.21

$6.71 R 108

41.88%

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

$608 €524

$199 R 3,218

205.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K €14.2K

$4,266 R 69.0K

287.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €89.5

$50.0 R 809

107.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.12 €36.29

$32.22 R 521

30.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.2 €79.5

$89.0 R 1,439

3.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$78.8 R 1,273

52.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,621 €1,397

$361 R 5,829

349.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,268 €1,092

$333 R 5,392

280.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,048 €2,626

$687 R 11.1K

343.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,009 €1,731

$693 R 11.2K

190.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,663 €6,602

$915 R 14.8K

737.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,329 €3,730

$708 R 11.4K

511.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,585 €1,366

$1,085 R 17.5K

46.12%

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 8, 2026

Last update for Kuruman: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,621 in Lisbon and $361 in Kuruman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 46% 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 $33.00 in Kuruman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $178 per month, with Kuruman 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 Kuruman: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Kuruman differ by about 122% in total monthly costs ($2,263 vs $1,020 including rent). Kuruman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 46% 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: $1,621 in Lisbon versus $361 in Kuruman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $608 in Lisbon versus $199 in Kuruman. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kuruman – a meal for two runs $33.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,020 in Kuruman versus $2,263 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kuruman but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Kuruman the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Kuruman 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 Kuruman gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.