Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Livingstone

For one person, living is cheaper in Livingstone: $202 a month against $2,202 in Lisbon, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Lisbon
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Lisbon Living Index

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Lisbon

🇵🇹 Portugal

$2,202

/mo nomad

Livingstone

🇿🇲 Zambia

$202

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Lisbon and in Livingstone

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Lisbon and in Livingstone actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,202 in Lisbon versus $202 in Livingstone.

Lisbon $2,202
Livingstone $202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,274 in Lisbon versus $369 in Livingstone.

Lisbon $3,274
Livingstone $369

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,346 in Lisbon versus $536 in Livingstone.

Lisbon $4,346
Livingstone $536

Living in Lisbon is roughly 991% more expensive than in Livingstone, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 62% above, Livingstone is 85% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.04 €15.15

$7.42 ZMW 148

129.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 €55.4

$29.48 ZMW 586

111.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.02 €9.80

$8.92 ZMW 177

23.54%

Cappuccino

$3.12 €2.78

$5.10 ZMW 101

-38.82%

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

$2.27 €2.02

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.55

$0.34 ZMW 6.67

411.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.42 €3.04

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.74 €3.33

Milk (1 liter)

$1.17 €1.04

White Bread (500g)

$1.86 €1.66

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.54 €1.37

Eggs

$4.06 €3.61

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 €11.49

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.90 €7.03

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.64 €15.69

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 €2.01

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.55

Oranges (1kg)

$1.89 €1.68

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 €2.27

Potato (1kg)

$1.85 €1.64

Onion (1kg)

$1.97 €1.75

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.45 €1.29

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.77 €0.69

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.71 €5.97

Wine (Bottle)

$5.67 €5.04

$20.14 ZMW 401

-71.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.22

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 €1.88

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.32 €2.07

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$44.43 €39.52

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.51

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.05 €0.93

$2.58 ZMW 51.3

-59.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.15 €15.26

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

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

$33.8K €30.0K

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

$38.3K €34.0K

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

$164 €146

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

$18.48 €16.43

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.96 €29.32

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.87 €40.80

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.68 €16.61

Cinema Ticket

$9.75 €8.67

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

$684 €608

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K €15.7K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$104 €92.3

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.20 €41.09

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.7 €88.7

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 €111

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 €1,414

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,169 €1,040

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 €2,536

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,993 €1,773

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,793 €6,932

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,418 €3,930

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,600 €1,423

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.85

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

Last update for Lisbon: October 19, 2026

Last update for Livingstone: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Lisbon

$1.2K 53.1%

Livingstone

–

Groceries & Markets

Lisbon

$273 12.4%

Livingstone

–

Eating Out

Lisbon

$247 11.2%

Livingstone

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lisbon

$215 9.8%

Livingstone

–

Clothing & Footwear

Lisbon

$168 7.7%

Livingstone

–

Sport & Entertainment

Lisbon

$65 3%

Livingstone

–

Getting Around

Lisbon

$63 2.9%

Livingstone

–

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $62.0 in Lisbon vs $29.00 in Livingstone for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $273 vs $40.00 per month, with Livingstone cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇹 Lisbon

🇿🇲 Livingstone

🕒 Local time

12:37 12:37 PM

13:37 1:37 PM

1 h ahead of Lisbon

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

545,923 Capital

136,897

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

Zambian Kwacha ZMW ZK

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

100 ZMW = 5.03 USD

100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ZMW, USD to EUR – Euro Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇪🇺 Euro (€)

Euro exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

Zambian Kwacha exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 19.89 ZMW (100 ZMW = 5.03 USD). 1 EUR = 22.36 ZMW (100 ZMW = 4.47 EUR).

USD to EUR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Lisbon Livingstone 7,270 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

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Livingstone

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

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 Livingstone: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Livingstone differ by about 991% in total monthly costs ($2,202 vs $202 including rent). Livingstone is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

You'd need roughly $3,302 in Lisbon and $303 in Livingstone 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.

Dining out is cheaper in Livingstone – a meal for two runs $29.00 versus $62.0 in Lisbon. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

All in, you'll spend $2,202 per month in Lisbon versus $202 in Livingstone – a 991% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $202 in Livingstone versus $2,202 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Livingstone but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Livingstone 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 Livingstone 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 Livingstone gentler on the wallet – expenses run 991% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.