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: $2,280 in Lisbon versus $1,017 in Kuruman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,294 in Lisbon versus $1,581 in Kuruman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,307 in Lisbon versus $2,146 in Kuruman.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 124% more expensive than in Kuruman, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Kuruman is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.75 €13.64

$8.49 R 140

85.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.5 €55.0

$33.96 R 559

86.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.45 €9.05

$4.77 R 78.5

119.08%

Cappuccino

$2.91 €2.52

$1.73 R 28.41

68.21%

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

$2.29 €1.98

$1.12 R 18.48

104.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.30

$0.59 R 9.65

154.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 €3.09

$2.29 R 37.72

55.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.96 €3.43

$2.49 R 40.93

59.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 €0.94

$1.10 R 18.15

-1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.76 €1.53

$1.05 R 17.25

67.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 €1.47

$1.61 R 26.52

5.59%

Eggs

$3.25 €2.81

$2.43 R 39.97

33.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.25 €11.47

$7.93 R 131

67.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.70 €6.67

$4.66 R 76.8

65.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.77 €13.66

$6.58 R 108

139.67%

Apples (1kg)

$2.28 €1.97

$1.67 R 27.43

36.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 €1.43

$1.52 R 25.03

9.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.53 R 25.19

32.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.47 €2.14

$1.64 R 26.95

50.61%

Potato (1kg)

$1.79 €1.55

$1.37 R 22.53

30.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.07 €1.79

$1.19 R 19.58

73.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 €1.71

$1.09 R 17.92

80.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.83 €0.72

$0.93 R 15.28

-10.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.55 €5.68

$2.87 R 47.20

128.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.57 €4.82

$4.82 R 79.4

15.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.15

$1.32 R 21.73

0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 €2.60

$1.72 R 28.24

75.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.27 €1.97

$1.68 R 27.61

35.12%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.35 €40.14

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.66

$1.10 R 18.06

284.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.85 €0.73

$0.88 R 14.49

-3.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.83 €16.31

$3.98 R 65.5

373.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.02 €1.75

$1.23 R 20.25

64.23%

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

$35.0K €30.3K

$21.2K R 349.0K

64.92%

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

$39.6K €34.3K

$24.1K R 396.4K

64.62%

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

$148 €128

$117 R 1,933

25.97%

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

$20.52 €17.77

$34.77 R 572

-40.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.52 €34.23

$41.34 R 681

-4.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.17 €41.72

$31.32 R 516

53.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.39 €15.92

Cinema Ticket

$9.10 €7.88

$6.54 R 108

39.14%

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

$615 €532

$196 R 3,229

213.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K €14.1K

$4,394 R 72.3K

270.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$102 €88.0

$49.91 R 822

103.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.09 €36.45

$31.64 R 521

33.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.3 €79.9

$89.2 R 1,469

3.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €106

$80.5 R 1,324

51.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,612 €1,396

$364 R 5,985

343.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 €1,086

$331 R 5,454

278.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,069 €2,658

$692 R 11.4K

343.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,037 €1,764

$701 R 11.5K

190.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,751 €6,712

$790 R 13.0K

880.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,286 €3,712

$674 R 11.1K

535.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,602 €1,387

$1,055 R 17.4K

51.86%

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: July 27, 2026

Last update for Kuruman: July 25, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,612 in Lisbon and $364 in Kuruman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 52% 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 $34.00 in Kuruman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 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 124% in total monthly costs ($2,280 vs $1,017 including rent). Kuruman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 52% 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: $1,612 in Lisbon versus $364 in Kuruman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $615 in Lisbon versus $196 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 $34.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,017 in Kuruman versus $2,280 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 124% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.