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: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,145 in Kuruman.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,766 in Kuruman.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,388 in Kuruman.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 100% more expensive than in Kuruman, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Kuruman is 16% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.33

$10.54 R 173

66.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$42.36 R 694

48.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.10

$4.97 R 81.3

133.00%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$1.82 R 29.86

70.33%

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

$2.49 €2.17

$1.23 R 20.13

102.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$0.64 R 10.45

171.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$2.43 R 39.87

43.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$2.82 R 46.12

21.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$1.19 R 19.45

-3.36%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.29 R 21.12

48.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$1.82 R 29.74

-17.58%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$4.35 R 71.3

-8.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.59

$8.39 R 137

58.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$5.25 R 85.9

52.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.73

$7.23 R 118

149.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.91 R 31.29

23.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.70 R 27.76

2.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.85 R 30.26

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.67 R 27.28

52.69%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$1.56 R 25.58

17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$1.49 R 24.37

40.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.30

$1.23 R 20.19

21.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$1.17 R 19.18

-29.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.19

$3.58 R 58.7

98.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$5.02 R 82.2

17.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.43 R 23.37

-8.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$1.95 R 31.86

9.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$1.66 R 27.23

42.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.63

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$0.61 R 10.00

568.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$0.81 R 13.25

40.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.90

$8.85 R 145

93.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$1.45 R 23.73

59.31%

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

$34.1K €29.7K

$37.0K R 606.7K

-7.87%

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

$41.4K €36.1K

$33.9K R 554.6K

22.18%

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

$169 €147

$123 R 2,009

37.43%

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

$19.33 €16.85

$34.12 R 559

-43.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.21

$38.01 R 623

-11.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.57

$32.26 R 528

51.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.94

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$8.09 R 132

18.29%

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

$696 €607

$235 R 3,844

196.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$5,733 R 93.9K

202.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.8

$53.7 R 880

96.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.62

$33.17 R 543

43.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$104 R 1,709

-3.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$93.4 R 1,529

33.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,449

$376 R 6,153

342.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$419 R 6,866

197.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,584

$822 R 13.5K

260.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,786

$852 R 14.0K

140.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,829

$915 R 15.0K

755.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,892

$606 R 9,923

636.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,422

$1,109 R 18.2K

47.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

-65.64%

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

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Kuruman: September 14, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $376 in Kuruman. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 47% 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 $42.00 in Kuruman for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $206 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 100% in total monthly costs ($2,296 vs $1,145 including rent). Kuruman is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 47% 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: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $376 in Kuruman. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $696 in Lisbon versus $235 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 $42.00 versus $63.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,145 in Kuruman versus $2,296 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 100% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.