Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lubumbashi Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Lubumbashi

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,316 in Lisbon versus $1,223 in Lubumbashi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,361 in Lisbon versus $2,716 in Lubumbashi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,405 in Lisbon versus $4,209 in Lubumbashi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 89% more expensive than in Lubumbashi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 69% above, Lubumbashi is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.30 €14.87

$10.19 CDF 23.1K

69.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €54.4

$99.3 CDF 224.9K

-36.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 €9.79

$9.83 CDF 22.3K

15.87%

Cappuccino

$3.19 €2.74

$3.92 CDF 8,866

-18.62%

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

$2.45 €2.10

$1.08 CDF 2,444

126.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.76 €1.52

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.59 €3.09

$2.02 CDF 4,570

77.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 €2.92

$2.48 CDF 5,611

36.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 €1.06

$1.97 CDF 4,457

-37.06%

White Bread (500g)

$1.98 €1.71

$1.22 CDF 2,754

62.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.52 €1.31

$3.06 CDF 6,928

-50.33%

Eggs

$4.04 €3.47

$2.15 CDF 4,860

87.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.54 €11.64

$15.18 CDF 34.4K

-10.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 €7.21

$7.52 CDF 17.0K

11.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.25 €15.69

$15.24 CDF 34.5K

19.75%

Apples (1kg)

$2.29 €1.97

$4.99 CDF 11.3K

-54.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 €1.50

$2.98 CDF 6,750

-41.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.86 €1.60

$5.08 CDF 11.5K

-63.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.26

$2.97 CDF 6,726

-11.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.65

$2.46 CDF 5,571

-21.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.09 €1.80

$2.68 CDF 6,064

-22.01%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.44 €1.24

$0.97 CDF 2,199

48.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.84 €0.72

$1.29 CDF 2,914

-34.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.78 €5.83

$4.09 CDF 9,250

65.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.71 €4.91

$12.64 CDF 28.6K

-54.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 €1.18

$1.18 CDF 2,679

16.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 €1.91

$2.06 CDF 4,662

7.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.40 €2.06

$0.98 CDF 2,223

144.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.78 €40.22

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.17 €3.59

$4.47 CDF 10.1K

-6.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.98

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.68 €15.20

$9.95 CDF 22.5K

77.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.32 €2.00

$1.46 CDF 3,313

58.90%

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

$35.3K €30.4K

$24.9K CDF 56.4M

41.75%

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

$41.4K €35.6K

$30.2K CDF 68.5M

37.01%

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

$170 €146

$98.9 CDF 223.8K

72.26%

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

$19.34 €16.62

$19.87 CDF 45.0K

-2.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.64 €28.92

$60.8 CDF 137.7K

-44.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.10 €41.35

$73.8 CDF 167.0K

-34.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.90 €17.11

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 €8.53

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

$717 €617

$135 CDF 306.6K

429.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.5K €15.0K

$4,533 CDF 10.3M

285.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.1

$22.82 CDF 51.7K

359.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.95 €40.36

$22.60 CDF 51.2K

107.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 €88.9

$60.5 CDF 136.9K

71.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €107

$84.6 CDF 191.5K

46.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,677 €1,441

$836 CDF 1.9M

100.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 €1,093

$373 CDF 844.4K

240.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 €2,566

$2,504 CDF 5.7M

19.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 €1,713

$2,051 CDF 4.6M

-2.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,826 €6,728

$1,005 CDF 2.3M

678.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,658 €4,004

$507 CDF 1.1M

818.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,583 €1,361

$1,081 CDF 2.4M

46.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.79

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

Last update for Lisbon: August 30, 2026

Last update for Lubumbashi: August 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,677 in Lisbon and $836 in Lubumbashi. 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 $99.0 in Lubumbashi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $327 per month, with Lisbon 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 Lubumbashi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lisbon and Lubumbashi differ by about 89% in total monthly costs ($2,316 vs $1,223 including rent). Lubumbashi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 46% 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: $1,677 in Lisbon versus $836 in Lubumbashi. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Shoppers in Lisbon pay roughly 16% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $2,316 per month in Lisbon versus $1,223 in Lubumbashi – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,223 in Lubumbashi versus $2,316 in Lisbon, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lubumbashi but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Lubumbashi 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 Lubumbashi 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 Lubumbashi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.