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: $2,291 in Lisbon versus $1,094 in Lubumbashi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,322 in Lisbon versus $2,546 in Lubumbashi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,354 in Lisbon versus $3,999 in Lubumbashi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 109% more expensive than in Lubumbashi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 71% above, Lubumbashi is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.19 €14.18

$12.29 CDF 27.6K

31.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.3 €55.5

$102 CDF 228.3K

-37.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.32 €9.04

$10.08 CDF 22.7K

2.38%

Cappuccino

$2.83 €2.48

$4.09 CDF 9,181

-30.81%

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

$2.29 €2.01

$0.99 CDF 2,220

131.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 €1.38

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.40 €2.98

$1.79 CDF 4,013

89.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 €3.53

$2.44 CDF 5,492

65.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 €0.96

$2.04 CDF 4,574

-46.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.53

$1.15 CDF 2,573

52.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$3.03 CDF 6,818

-41.91%

Eggs

$3.17 €2.77

$2.63 CDF 5,902

20.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.19 €11.56

$15.26 CDF 34.3K

-13.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.97 €6.98

$7.31 CDF 16.4K

9.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.53 €13.60

$15.21 CDF 34.2K

2.10%

Apples (1kg)

$2.37 €2.07

$2.05 CDF 4,606

15.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 €1.49

$2.92 CDF 6,562

-41.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.76

$5.03 CDF 11.3K

-60.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.43 €2.13

$2.98 CDF 6,684

-18.46%

Potato (1kg)

$1.76 €1.54

$2.57 CDF 5,785

-31.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 €1.78

$1.94 CDF 4,359

4.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 €1.68

$1.02 CDF 2,302

88.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.85 €0.74

$1.24 CDF 2,780

-31.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.58 €5.76

$3.92 CDF 8,810

67.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.58 €4.89

$12.73 CDF 28.6K

-56.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 €1.17

$1.14 CDF 2,552

16.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.60

$2.07 CDF 4,658

43.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.28 €1.99

$1.03 CDF 2,310

121.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.79 €40.10

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 €3.70

$4.62 CDF 10.4K

-8.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.81 €0.71

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.44 €16.15

$9.96 CDF 22.4K

85.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.08 €1.82

$1.35 CDF 3,039

54.07%

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

$34.7K €30.4K

$25.2K CDF 56.6M

37.58%

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

$39.2K €34.3K

$30.4K CDF 68.2M

28.97%

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

$148 €130

$102 CDF 228.1K

45.82%

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

$20.46 €17.92

$19.84 CDF 44.6K

3.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.56 €34.64

$60.7 CDF 136.3K

-34.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.99 €42.03

$72.6 CDF 163.1K

-33.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.60 €16.29

Cinema Ticket

$9.22 €8.08

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

$616 €540

$132 CDF 297.2K

365.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.4K €14.4K

$4,420 CDF 9.9M

272.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$103 €90.0

$22.87 CDF 51.4K

349.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.74 €36.55

$22.64 CDF 50.9K

84.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.8 €83.0

$60.0 CDF 134.8K

57.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 €107

$84.2 CDF 189.1K

44.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 €1,430

$773 CDF 1.7M

111.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,232 €1,079

$251 CDF 564.3K

390.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 €2,713

$2,921 CDF 6.6M

6.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,031 €1,779

$1,773 CDF 4.0M

14.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,831 €6,858

$1,013 CDF 2.3M

673.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,389 €3,844

$501 CDF 1.1M

775.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,607 €1,408

$1,072 CDF 2.4M

49.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.81

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

Last update for Lisbon: July 14, 2026

Last update for Lubumbashi: July 13, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,633 in Lisbon and $773 in Lubumbashi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 50% 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 $102 in Lubumbashi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $267 vs $311 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 109% in total monthly costs ($2,291 vs $1,094 including rent). Lubumbashi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 50% 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: $1,633 in Lisbon versus $773 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 $2,291 per month in Lisbon versus $1,094 in Lubumbashi – a 109% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,094 in Lubumbashi versus $2,291 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 109% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.