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: $2,210 in Lisbon versus $1,117 in Lubumbashi.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,311 in Lisbon versus $2,556 in Lubumbashi.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,411 in Lisbon versus $3,995 in Lubumbashi.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 98% more expensive than Lubumbashi, driven mainly by Clothing & Footwear.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 65% above, Lubumbashi is 17% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 €13.69

$12.46 CDF 28.3K

27.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.8 €55.7

$98.3 CDF 223.2K

-34.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.51 €9.04

$9.91 CDF 22.5K

6.05%

Cappuccino

$2.87 €2.47

$3.98 CDF 9,031

-27.89%

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

$2.24 €1.93

$0.97 CDF 2,209

130.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.29

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.49 €3.00

$1.77 CDF 4,012

97.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.88 €3.34

$2.47 CDF 5,600

57.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 €0.98

$2.01 CDF 4,570

-43.28%

White Bread (500g)

$1.75 €1.51

$1.15 CDF 2,618

52.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.76 €1.51

$2.92 CDF 6,628

-39.73%

Eggs

$3.22 €2.77

$2.63 CDF 5,972

22.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.49 €11.61

$15.22 CDF 34.5K

-11.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.91 €6.81

$7.35 CDF 16.7K

7.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.87 €13.65

$15.54 CDF 35.3K

2.12%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 €1.99

$2.01 CDF 4,573

14.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 €1.46

$2.95 CDF 6,687

-42.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.01 €1.73

$5.11 CDF 11.6K

-60.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.46 €2.12

$2.94 CDF 6,677

-16.33%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.59

$2.46 CDF 5,581

-25.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.72

$1.95 CDF 4,431

2.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 €1.66

$0.99 CDF 2,244

94.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.68

$1.27 CDF 2,881

-37.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.61 €5.68

$4.03 CDF 9,146

64.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.72 €4.92

$12.68 CDF 28.8K

-54.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.37 €1.17

$1.20 CDF 2,730

14.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.56

$2.08 CDF 4,724

42.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.04

$0.98 CDF 2,233

141.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.56 €39.19

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 €3.69

$4.46 CDF 10.1K

-3.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.82 €0.70

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.30 €15.74

$9.82 CDF 22.3K

86.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.78

$1.36 CDF 3,084

51.47%

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

$34.3K €29.5K

$24.7K CDF 56.1M

38.75%

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

$39.3K €33.8K

$29.5K CDF 66.9M

33.37%

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

$148 €127

$98.9 CDF 224.5K

49.51%

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

$20.52 €17.65

$20.35 CDF 46.2K

0.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.61 €34.08

$59.4 CDF 134.8K

-33.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.85 €41.16

$72.2 CDF 164.0K

-33.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.92 €16.28

Cinema Ticket

$9.18 €7.90

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

$614 €528

$132 CDF 299.9K

364.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K €13.8K

$4,465 CDF 10.1M

259.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €90.0

$22.38 CDF 50.8K

367.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.06 €36.18

$22.32 CDF 50.7K

88.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.0 €80.8

$60.5 CDF 137.3K

55.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 €103

$84.3 CDF 191.4K

41.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,628 €1,400

$764 CDF 1.7M

113.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 €1,080

$249 CDF 565.0K

404.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,030 €2,607

$2,858 CDF 6.5M

6.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,020 €1,738

$1,813 CDF 4.1M

11.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,800 €6,709

$988 CDF 2.2M

689.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,273 €3,675

$502 CDF 1.1M

750.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,603 €1,379

$1,068 CDF 2.4M

50.08%

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: June 1, 2026

Last update for Lubumbashi: May 30, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,628 in Lisbon and $764 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: $65.0 in Lisbon vs $98.0 in Lubumbashi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $269 vs $312 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 98% in total monthly costs ($2,210 vs $1,117 including rent). Lubumbashi is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Lisbon pays 50% more on average, 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: $1,628 in Lisbon versus $764 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 $2,210 per month in Lisbon versus $1,117 in Lubumbashi – a 98% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,117 in Lubumbashi versus $2,210 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 98% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.